A mother has been left “scarred for life” after being attacked by a rottweiler while walking her shih-tzu.
Shue Leung, aged 52, was walking her dog, Mushroom when the incident occurred. She was pulled to the ground by the rottweiler and suffered multiple injuries to her face. Following a four-hour wait at the hospital, Ms. Leung received 70 stitches to close the wounds on the side of her face.
Recounting the harrowing experience, she stated, “I noticed a rottweiler off the lead with no muzzle. The owner was walking far behind him. I raised my dog, hoping to grab him. With full force, the rottweiler pushed me to the ground and attempted to grab my dog’s front arm. I held onto my dog tightly, curling up to protect him from the rottweiler’s attack. The owner intervened only after the dog had already attacked me. If the owner had been slower to react, the outcome could have been far worse for my face.”
The disturbing incident took place in North Baddesley, Hampshire, around 9:40 am on March 1, and was captured on a neighbor’s CCTV. The footage shows the rottweiler targeting the seven-year-old shih-tzu before lunging at both Ms. Leung and her dog.
In the video, Ms. Leung is seen being pulled to the ground and obscured behind a wall as the rottweiler aggressively tugs at her. The owner rushes in, manages to beat the dog off, and scare it away.
Ms. Leung, who has been unable to return to work as a front-of-house staff member at a fast-food restaurant due to concerns about her visible injuries, expressed her distress, saying, “My son witnessed the attack and was deeply affected. The scars I bear will be a permanent reminder of this ordeal. I dread facing people and even avoid looking at myself in the mirror. The fear lingers, making it difficult for me to venture outside.”
Hampshire Police responded to the incident at 9:50 am on Friday, March 1, following a report of a woman being bitten on the head by the dog. The spokesperson confirmed that Ms. Leung sustained serious injuries that necessitated hospital treatment, with potential long-term consequences.
The authorities disclosed that the rottweiler, belonging to a man in his 70s, has been euthanized after the owner voluntarily surrendered the animal to the police. The man has been questioned under caution as the investigation continues.