A dog was battered and bruised in an attack by two other dogs, and its owner fears her children may be hurt next.

Ria Mitchell, 27, of Croyde Avenue, Hayes, was on the way to collect her three-yearold daughter, Kaci, and sixyear-old son, Calum, from school when two Staffordshire Bull Terriers ran out of a house and attacked her dog, Stanford.

The incident happened last Monday at about 3pm.

This month alone, the Gazette has reported two other dog-on-dog attacks in which one pet was suffered a broken paw and the other's ribs were crushed and a lung was punctured.

Miss Mitchell said: "My dog ran behind my friend's legs when he saw the dogs running after him. One of the dogs just starting biting his chest and the other grabbed his hind legs.

"The owner looked like he just didn't care, he just acted as if it was some sort of game. My dog is a nervous wreck at the moment, he won't even go out of the front door."

She said she reported the attack to the police but they told her there was nothing they could do because the dog only attacked another dog, which is not a crime.

Miss Mitchell said: "Next time it might be a child and it might not be so lucky.

"I think it's disgusting that the police can't do anything and it makes me angry that there is no law enforcement for dog-on-dog attacks."

She said the police told her they were aware of the culprit dogs because previous attacks have been reported. They have told the owner to keep his dogs on leads.

She said: "I think the owner of those dogs should have to pay my vet bill. It was £30 which for me is a lot."