Rottweiler attack leaves woman in need of stitches

Victoria said she was bitten by a Rottweiler similar to the one in this stock image

BBC A rottweiler was sitting in a field looking up. The dog is black and brown and has its tongue out. It is in a field of grass. — Victoria said she was bitten by a Rottweiler similar to the one in this stock image

A woman has been left suffering nightmares and may need a skin graft after she was bitten on the arm in a “terrifying” dog attack.

Victoria told the BBC she was attacked during a fight between her dog and a large Rottweiler in Kings Park, Bournemouth on Friday.

One witness described being dragged “for several metres” when the animal grabbed a scarf around her neck.

Victoria said she was bitten on the back of her arm and went to the hospital with a four- to five-inch gash that required nine stitches.

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Dorset Police said they are investigating after a report that a woman was attacked by a dog on Friday.

Before the attack, Victoria said she was approached by a man and a large dog between the football pitches and the running track in Kings Park.

“When he saw me he stopped, which is not unusual for dog owners when they put their dog on a leash, and that’s what I thought he did,” she said.

When they crossed paths, she said the Rottweiler went after her dog, so she asked the man to hold him while he tried to walk away.

She said: “Then I felt the scarf tighten around my neck and I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds, it was really scary.

“I was laying on the floor on top of my dog to try and protect her, so I put my arm up to cover my head and she bit me on the arm.”

Doctors have told Victoria if her stitches don’t heal properly she will need a skin graft

Victoria A woman's arm with a large red wound that has been stitched up. The leather is red and purple and the stitching is blue. — Doctors have told Victoria if her stitches don’t heal properly she will need a skin graft

She said the man had to use his full body weight and an arm around his neck to restrain his dog.

“That dog kept coming back for more,” she said.

Victoria is self-employed and said she has been told she is currently unable to drive, which means she cannot work.

“It affected my life. And when you have a big dog coming at you like that, it’s just terrifying,” she said.

“I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m having nightmares. I haven’t walked my dog properly since – apart from the block. It’s had a big effect on my life.”

An eyewitness told the BBC they were also attacked in Kings Park on a separate occasion.

Victoria said: “This dog is regularly walked without (a lead or collar). Since then, people have been sending me messages, saying he attacked them in the past.”

She said she was not looking for the dog to be destroyed, but felt it needed to be monitored, which was the owner’s responsibility.

“I made a fuss about it because there are three local schools that back into that park and he walks the dog at times when kids come in and out,” she added.