A family dog was 'aggressively' attacked whilst its owners struggled to rescue it.

Karen Seaton, 51, and her husband were walking their dog, Spud, in Aberford Park, Borehamwood, on Sunday February 7, when they heard a woman screaming.

The woman, who was in her 40s with short hair, was screaming to the couple to keep their dog away from hers.

The Staffordshire bull terrier was tied up around a post when it managed to slip the lead and bolted towards the couple attacking their dog.

Mrs Seaton said: “My dog was shaking and he’s quite a big dog but he couldn’t do anything to defend himself as he had this other dogs teeth sunk into his side.

“My husband managed to grab the dog but it got away again and continued to attack my dog. It was so aggressive.

“I was punching it in its head to release its teeth from my dog.”

Eventually they managed to get it away and Mrs Seaton ran out of the park with her dog and hid out of sight.

“I was in such a state and shaking uncontrollably,” she said.

“We had a horrendous few days as my dog couldn’t walk as the other one had punctured his leg and chest. He was crying all night.

“We took him to the vet where they had to give him morphine, antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatories.”

Mrs Seaton’s dog is recovering but is still nervous and she is scared to go back to the park.

The attack has been reported to the dog warden and the police.

She said: “The owner was useless and had no idea how to hand the dog. It is a dangerous dog who had only thing on its mind – to attack my dog.”