Dog savaged in Worthing park

Nikki Mardell, 51, of Chancton Close, Worthing, was walking five-year-old Poppy, along with two of her three other dogs, in West Park, off Shaftsbury Avenue, in mid April.

She said: "A man was there with his big dog, he let it off the lead and it ran over to Poppy and started attacking her.

"It picked her up and had her in its mouth and was shaking her violently. She was only tiny so she didn't stand a chance.

"I was quite far away so I started running and shouting at the man to make it stop. I picked her up and I knew there was something very wrong."

Miss Mardell drove Poppy to a vet, where she was told her spine was broken and she would have to have her put down.

Through a neighbour, she was able to track down the owner of the dog.

He said the owner had apologised, promised to keep his animal on a lead, and had given Miss Mardell a cheque to cover Poppy's vet bills and funeral costs.

Miss Mardell now plans to have her dog's ashes made into a firework, and if the council agrees, she will let it off from West Park on what would have been Poppy's sixth birthday in June.

She said: "This has made me very neurotic when I'm out with the dogs.

"I don't have a husband and children, my dogs are like my babies so this is a horrible thing to happen."

The owner of the other dog said: "I was very sorry for what happened and I told Miss Mardell that and we have sorted it out financially now.

"I'm going to keep the dog on a lead now to ensure it doesn't happen again.

"The dog has never done anything like that before, I think she must have thought it was a rabbit or a cat as the dog was so small."