A pet owner in Sheffield expressed shock and fear for her dog‘s life after it was allegedly subjected to a vicious attack by two dogs believed to be XL Bullys in a local park.
Katie Gillatt recounted her distress when her sister, Louisa, returned home with their pet, Ollie, a Jack Russell-Shih Tzu cross, bearing severe injuries sustained during a walk near Athelstan Primary School in Handsworth, close to Richmond Park Road.
The incident left Ollie with multiple wounds and missing teeth, prompting an urgent trip to the veterinarian where Katie harbored concerns over Ollie’s survival.
South Yorkshire Police have been notified of the incident, with Katie asserting that the two other dogs involved were running unrestrained under their owner’s supervision. Ollie’s injuries included nine missing teeth, as well as wounds to his neck and legs.
Katie claimed that the man accompanying the dogs was also injured while attempting to intervene, suffering injuries in the process of separating the animals from Ollie and Louisa.
Expressing concern over the potential consequences if a child had been involved, Katie urged anyone with information to come forward to aid the authorities in their investigation.
Photographs of Ollie’s injuries were shared with The Star by Katie, who consented to their publication as evidence of the severity of the incident.
Detailing the events leading up to the attack, Katie recounted how Louisa encountered a man in his early 30s chasing two dogs that were approaching them while on their walk at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Ollie, aged seven, became the target of the dogs’ aggression.
According to Katie, the dogs, suspected to be XL Bullys, were unleashed and unmuzzled during the encounter, with one of them clamping its jaws around Ollie’s head while the other posed a threat to Louisa. In the ensuing struggle, both Ollie and Louisa sustained injuries, with Louisa left with a bite mark on her hand from attempting to free Ollie from the attacking dog’s grip.
Reflecting on the traumatic incident, Katie described Ollie as a gentle and beloved pet, whose popularity at the veterinarian’s office attests to his amiable nature. However, she expressed profound sadness and worry over Ollie’s condition, admitting to continuous tears and anxiety over his well-being during his recovery at the veterinary clinic.
