A COUPLE whose 16-week-old puppy was mauled by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross have warned others in their town to beware of the vicious dog.

Elizabeth and Katie Neilson-Dance were walking their Cockapoo Jasper on Abingdon High Street this month when he was pounced on by the other hound.

Jasper ended up with eight puncture wounds and a £200 vets' bill. The other dog and its owner walked away.

Elizabeth reported the attack to the police, but while they investigate she wanted to warn other dog owners and pedestrians that the aggressive attacker was still at large.

The 33-year-old who lives with her 27-year-old wife in Abingdon said: "We were walking near Savers on Abingdon High Street at about 6pm and we had Jasper with us.

"The bloke was in the doorway and his dog just pounced out of nowhere, I think it was a Mastiff or Staffie cross, and it tore into our pup – he was absolutely screaming.

"I got caught up in the crossfire and bit me. We managed to get him off and give him back to the owner then he let it go and it got hold of Jasper again."

The couple eventually managed to wrench Jasper away from the bigger dog, and rushed him to Abivale vets in Abingdon.

The vet discovered six puncture wounds which he cleaned up, and then prescribed a course of antibiotics.

Mrs Neilson-Dance said the aggressive dog owner followed them to the vets, apologising for the attack, and even asked the vet if they could put his dog down.

But she said, because he was not registered, the vets would not help, so the man and his dog just wandered off.

The next day the couple discovered two more puncture wounds on Jasper and had to take him back to the vets for more treatment.

They posted a message about their ordeal on Facebook and were soon flooded with comments from others who said they had run into the same aggressive dog.

Mrs Neilson-Dance said: "There was one lady who got in touch who said the dog had attacked her just a couple of hours previously that same day.

"She said she normally brings her baby with her but luckily that time she didn't – but what if it had been a kid instead of our dog?

"We are scared to go anywhere near town with our pup now, and it's definitely affected him."

Thames Valley Police said the man with the offending dog was white and bald and wearing a great T-shirt and light-coloured shorts.

The force asked anyone with any information about the attack to call 101