A dog has died after being attacked by Staffies while on a walk in Fife’s East Neuk.
Owner Anne Baker was walking Missy, a seven-year-old Border Collie, in a field near her home in Muircambus, near Elie, on Sunday.
Anne, 75, said she thought they were alone and let Missy off her lead, but seconds later two other dogs “charged” over and started biting her dog.
The great-grandmother was left “screaming for help” for up to 15 minutes before two men started throwing items at the dogs, believed to be Staffordshire Bull Terriers, to get them away from Missy.
Anne was also left with a bite on her finger, for which she got a tetanus vaccine, after trying to fend them off herself.
Missy had been at the vet since the incident and died on Friday afternoon.
Family friend Jennifer Kirkaldy said Anne and husband John had been left “devastated” by the news.
She said Missy had relapsed and the couple were told she was not going to make it.
John posted on Facebook: “Our little Missy had a relapse today and we decided she couldn’t take any more and that it was time to let her go.
“What a waste of a beautiful little life.
“She should have had many years before her.”
‘I was screaming for help while the dogs were tearing up my dog’
Anne told The Courier: “There didn’t seem to be anyone about and I let Missy off her lead.
“Then I heard someone shouting ‘no’ and a black Staffy came charging towards us and started attacking her.
“A grey dog then ran over to us and attacked her.
“They didn’t stop for 10 or 15 minutes and the owner didn’t come over.
“I was screaming for help while the dogs were tearing up my dog.
“Then two men arrived and tried to get the dogs off her – they were throwing things at the dogs.
“I thought she was going to die.
“They managed to get the dogs off and I managed to get Missy to my house – I was distraught.”
Border Collie dies after attack near Elie
After getting home Anne says she called her husband, John, and they both rushed straight to the vet.
Speaking on Thursday evening, Anne said it was still “touch and go” whether Missy would make it.
She said: “Missy has bites everywhere – but mostly on her neck, she also has a drain in her neck as they thought they may have got her Jugular.
“She is insured for £7,000 and the bill is £6,000 already.
“I am terrified to go back out there now.
“Those dogs have been seen running all along the roads nearby.”
The Border Collie died on Friday.
The couple phoned the police but because the dogs attacked Missy and not Anne, the incident was referred to the dog warden.
Anne said: “The dog warden said it will be at least a week before we hear.
“Those dogs are still out there – I have a great-granddaughter and we sometimes walk there.
“What would have happened if she was with me?”
Fife Council’s safer communities manager Paul Coleman said: “We have been made aware of a report of an incident in Muircambus last weekend.
“This incident is currently being investigated by both Fife Council dog wardens and Police Scotland, under the Control of Dogs (S) Act and the Dangerous Dogs Act respectively.
Conversation