A man tackled an out-of-control dog to the ground after it attacked his own dog and bit his wife. Paul Jennings, who is a professional dog walker, was walking with his wife Sasithon and their beagle Cody when the drama unfolded.
Footage shows a German Shepherd breaking free from its owner before lunging at them. Sasithon instinctively put herself between Cody and the other dog, getting bit in the leg in the process.
The CCTV video shows Paul tackling the dog to the ground to try to get it under control. The owner then manages to put its lead back on before walking off. It near Kingston-upon-Thames town centre on April 8. The couple, from nearby Surbiton, phoned the police and were taken to A&E where she was treated for a bite in her calf, reports the Mirror.
Paul said he was frustrated that, several weeks after the incident, the owner had not been tracked down. Police are investigating. Paul also told the Mirror there should be a licence for owning such big breeds.
He said: "We don't think she should face criminal charges but people who have powerful dogs need to have some training or they should have some kind of licence. To drive a car you need to have training or else you can easily kill people on the road, but with dogs, it seems to be a free-for-all when you've got a deadly animal with you. This lady had no harness with the dog, which is the bare minimum unless they are very well-trained. People need to be aware."
His wife said she feared if her leg was a baby or a child how much worse it would have been.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Sasithon, a teaching assistant, added: "I just didn't want Cody to get bitten - I didn't really think about it, it was instinct that put me forward. I knew he bit my leg, but I didn't know it was that bad until the ambulance came and they looked at my wound.
"I think if my leg was a baby or a child then it would have been much worse. I don't want this to happen to a child or anyone else."
Paul, who owns Green Dog Ltd in Surrey, said since he initially put an appeal on Facebook there have been three sightings of the woman and the dog - and in some of the sightings the dog has a muzzle on.
He added: "She had a flimsy collar on that would be suitable for a small dog, but for a dog that is powerful - you shouldn't be going out in public places like that. It was trying to attack our dog - I wasn't scared personally, but I was scared for my dog. I had a vague memory of what happened and when I saw the CCTV I saw I was wrestling it."
The couple managed to get to a shop where they called for an ambulance as they were too scared to check to see if the dog had gone. Paul says that the woman hasn't come forward and no one has come forward saying they know her.
A police spokesperson told the Mirror: "Police are investigating an incident in which a woman was bitten by a dog in Kingston on the evening of April 8. Enquiries continue. There has been no arrest."
