A granddad and another man were injured after they were brutally attacked by dogs in a park.
Michael Campbell, from Wirral, was walking his French Bull Tzu Bo in Birkenhead Park on May 15 when they were set upon by Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The 80-year-old tried to save his beloved dog but was forced to retreat when the dogs started to bite and scratch him, reports the Mirror.
The granddad said the "'out of control" animals "ripped apart" his six-year-old pet. The Staffies also attacked brave passerby Jan Majer when he attempted to save Bo, leaving him with a horrific leg wound that exposed his bone.
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Michael's daughter Denise said: "Dad let Bo off the lead and these Staffies came out of nowhere and started attacking his dog. He went over to pick Bo up and fell over. They were jumping on him and trying to get past him to Bo, who he was protecting.
"He had bites all over him and scratches on his face. Dad tried to protect Bo but couldn't and had to move. The Staffies then started mauling Bo, ripping him apart in front of my dad. This guy then ran over and managed to get Bo away from the dogs.
"He lifted him up and tried to put him on his shoulder but the dogs then started attacking him. They bit his leg to get to Bo. You could see his bone on his leg. He will be scarred for life."
**Warning graphic images below which people may find distressing**
Good Samaritan Jan, 33, from Birkenhead, said he charged in to help Bo after he heard the pooch screaming. He said: "I was driving around the park with the window down and I heard a screaming dog. I stopped my car, jumped over the fence and went to help the dog.
"When I picked him up, the dogs jumped up and tried to reach him. One bit my hand and was hanging off me. The other bit my leg. It was very painful, it felt like someone was ripping my leg apart.
"I remember falling to the ground and then staggering to the fence and jumping back over. I'm scared of big dogs now. They are dangerous, you can't imagine a chihuahua could do this.
"What if it was a three-year-old kid and not me that was attacked - they could have killed the child." Factory worker Jan, originally from the Czech Republic, was rushed to hospital and is currently having time off due to his injuries.
Despite still being in agony, he is not angry with the dogs and instead blamed the owners. He said: "I'm a dog lover. You can't blame the dogs, they are animals. It's always the owners. Every dog can be lovely.
"In my country if you have a dog like this, you must have them on a lead or wearing a muzzle. My message to your readers is to keep your dogs on the lead."
Jan believes he initially saw three dogs surrounding Bo, although he was only attacked by two of the animals. Another passerby managed to pick Bo up and take him to a nearby police car after Jan's intervention.
Denise said: "The police blue-lighted Bo to the vets. The vet said he was pretty much dead when he arrived and if he hadn't got there in time he wouldn't have survived."
Michael, who has health issues, was left covered in blood after the attack. He was taken to hospital while Bo was rushed to the vets, where the pooch remained for almost a week.
Denise has since set up a GoFundMe page to help her dad pay for Bo's ongoing treatment. The vet bill has already reached £3,800, although the family has received a staggering £4,000 in donations.
Bo and Michael are now back home recovering, although the attack still haunts the pensioner, whose hands are still bandaged up. His daughter said: "He's absolutely traumatised. He's not the same person since it happened.
"I don't think he will ever go out again. He keeps going over it in his head, he keeps hearing his dog squeal. He said he doesn't feel confident going out again."
Police were called to the scene and seized two dogs following the attack, which took place at around 11.45am on May 15. Merseyside Police is still investigating and Denise hopes officers "take the right actions" following her dad's ordeal.
The seized animals are being held by Merseyside Police for the duration of the case. Denise managed to find the two men who helped her father after sharing a Facebook post about the attack.
The 42-year-old now plans to give the man who was injured in the incident all of the donations left over after Bo's vet bills. A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: "At around 11.50am we received a report that a man and his small dog were being attacked by two Staffordshire Bull Terriers in Birkenhead Park on Cavendish Road, Birkenhead.
"A man who was driving by stopped to help the victim, an 80-year-old man. The Good Samaritan, a 33-year-old man, lifted the small dog and as he did was bitten on his leg and arm by the two Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The 80-year-old victim received minor injuries.
"Police attended the scene, both victims were taken to hospital for their injuries and are recovering from the incident. "The small dog was taken for veterinary treatment. Officers have seized the two Staffordshire Bull Terriers and their two owners will attend for police interviews at a later date."
Community Policing Inspector Peter Rexwinkel added: “This was a frightening incident for all involved and an investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident is continuing.
“Although Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not a banned breed, they were reportedly out of control in a public place and as such officers have seized the dogs and the owners will be attending an interview.
“Merseyside Police takes such incidents seriously and have a dedicated Sergeant who reviews all cases concerning dogs. Anyone walking their dog in our local parks need to be mindful of their dog’s behaviour at all times and keep their pet on a lead if it is liable to be aggressive towards other park users.
“We will not tolerate irresponsible dog ownership on Merseyside and want to maintain all our parks as safe and welcoming places to be.”
Police have yet to make any arrests in the case. Anyone with information about the incident can call 101, quoting incident number 22000333218, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
To help pay for Bo's vet bills, visit the GoFundMe page here.
