An Irish woman living in Spain has told how she and her dog are lucky to be alive after they were attacked by a Belgian Malinois breed.
Broadcaster Joan Larkin was left badly bruised and needing stitches after the attack in which her little dog Oscar also required urgent veterinary care.
"Oscar is an 11-year-old bichon frise rescue dog and is arthritic, so he doesn't walk very fast," she said.
"Last month, we were out for a walk about 7.30pm in the village where I live in the Valenciana region of South East Spain. I had Oscar's lead, and he was trailing behind me.
"We approached a car which was parked outside a house on a quiet road that we walk almost every day. There was a Belgian Malinois dog in a crate in the open boot of a car, and he was going crazy as we walked towards it. He was barking and thrashing around in the crate.
"We walked past the car and the next thing I know is that I've been pulled off my feet and onto my back and the dog has Oscar in his mouth. He had obviously broken out of the crate and came after us.
"I was lying on the ground, kicking like hell to try and get this dog off Oscar and the dog's owner came running out of his house, after hearing my screams. He tried to get his dog to release his grip but to no avail.
"So, I kicked the Malinois again and that's when he sank his teeth into my right leg and dragged me off the footpath onto the road.
"Once he had gotten rid of me, he turned back and grabbed Oscar again.
"Oscar wasn't even fighting back. He was just lying on his back and the dog had him by his belly this time. The owner was all the time trying to get his dog to release his grip, but he had absolutely no control over him.
"The dog turned on me again and bit my other leg, my right arm and wrist and palm of my left hand. I got multiple bites and bruises from being dragged around, but Oscar was my main concern.
"It all happened in a blur, so fast that I don't remember an awful lot of it. I remember the start and I remember gathering Oscar in my arms and running, trailing blood down the street behind me.
"I don't know what happened, the owner must have grabbed him. I just took off.
"I rang my neighbour who drove around and picked us up and took us to the veterinary hospital where Oscar was x-rayed straight away to assess the damage. He has to have surgery this week to repair a hernia which has formed in his abdomen because of the attack.
"But he was very lucky. The dog sank his teeth either side of Oscar's spine and, thankfully, missed all his vital organs. But he was bitten on his neck, back, legs and abdomen, so for a little dog who is old and weighs only eight kilos, the injuries were serious.
"For me, I had to get a tetanus shot and stitches in my right leg and left hand. My legs were badly bruised where the dog dragged me off my feet and I hit the pavement.
"I'm still bruised a month later, and I can still see the bites, some of them are still sore because they were quite deep, but I am so lucky that I only needed a few stitches."
Joan is a huge dog lover but admits that the attack has made her very wary, especially of that breed.
"England were playing Spain about a week later and there was a big screen put up in the village square, so I decided to walk Oscar down the road to check out the atmosphere. I saw a man with the same breed of dog that attacked us just sitting there, watching the match and my heart just stopped.
"I suffered a complete panic attack. I had to call a friend to come and get me. I was too scared to go outside my own gate for about a week.
"That's not like me. I love all dogs, but I will be wary of that particular breed in the future. If you are going to get a big dog like that, you need professional help to train it. You need to respect that dog's needs and be a responsible owner.
"I don't blame that dog because any dog could bite - but not all dogs have the capacity to kill. That dog could've killed us.
"I've hired a lawyer, and I'm leaving it in his hands. As for me, I had intended going back to Ireland at the end of this year, but this attack has accelerated my departure and I will come home for good at the end of this month.
"Oscar and I are lucky to be here. It was a horrific experience."
