A devastated mum has told how her beloved pooch’s spine was ripped apart during a savage attack by three off-the-lead dogs.
Six-year-old Jinky was being walked in Glasgow on Thursday morning when the dangerous trio pounced on the tiny Shih Tzu.
Owner Andrina Sweeney, 57, screamed for help as the vicious animals took turns in clamping their jaws around his head, neck and stomach.
The severely injured Jinky miraculously survived the initial attack by playing dead and was rushed to the vets for emergency treatment, the Daily Record reports.
But his heartbroken family were forced to say goodbye after it was found he had suffered irreparable damage to his spinal cord and vertebrae.
Daughter Nicola Sweeney told how the entire family was left "devastated" at the tragic loss of their "wee best friend" – and urged dog owners to beware.
The 37-year-old said: “All I’ve done is cry – I’ve been up all night. It’s been horrendous. We are all devastated and the kids are so upset because he was their wee best friend.
“My mum was walking Jinky yesterday day on the same walk that he did every morning.
“A neighbouring flat has a Staffy, a pitbull-type dog and a chihuahua crossbreed which are never on their leads.
“My mum has been saying to them for about a year that they should be put on their lead because there’s lots of young children around here.
“But yesterday, the dogs have come down the stairs as my mum was walking past with Jinky and a woman opened the door.
“She looked at my mum and looked at the dog and said ‘oh dear’. And the dogs just ran for Jinky and pulled him out his lead.
“There were five people who knew the dogs that just stood there and watched. Not one of them helped my mum who was screaming.
“My mum kept kicking one of the dogs away, but then it started going for her so she was terrified as well.
“The main one, the Staffy, grabbed him and the other two were just taking chews of him and throwing him about to each other.
“Three or four of the other neighbours came down and helped but it had been a good six minutes, maybe longer, before the dogs actually let Jinky go.
“Somehow he was still alive. I think he played dead and that’s when the other dogs gave up.”
Jinky was rushed to the vets where they gave him pain relief before shaving off his fur to get a better look at his injuries.
After being sent for an x-ray, they soon realised he would never recover from the horrendous wounds to his back. The family had to have him put to sleep.
Nicola added: “He had so many punctures all over his body but the main injury was on his back.
“One of his wee legs was broken and that’s when they found that his vertebrae and spinal cord were totally destroyed and he’d have to be put to sleep.
“We went down and we were with him when it happened. The main thing is that he’s out of pain. But I just don’t want this to happen to another family.
“These dogs could be freely walking around another park today. This should never have happened because they should have been on leads in the first place.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson: "“Officers were called to Moss Heights Drive, Cardonald around 7.50am on Thursday 25 March 2021, following reports of a dog attack.
“One dog later died and another was seized by Police Scotland.
“A 21-year-old woman’s been charged in relation to the Dangerous Dogs Act and enquiries continue.”
