A PURLEY couple are recovering from the shock of seeing their dog being "horrifically" attacked last week by two pitbull-type terriers after their owner abandoned the scene.
Ranu Jhoollun was walking her dog Coco, a two-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever, on the playing fields at Purley Way at about 8pm last Tuesday when she was approached by a man with two dogs that looked like pitbulls.
Her boyfriend, Ronan Pigott, who rushed to the scene when Ranu called him in a panic, said: "Coco was just running after a ball when the two dogs attacked her. Neither of them were on a lead and it was clear their owner didn't have one.
"Initially, he tried to get them off Coco but couldn't. When my girlfriend suggested he use a lead to drag them off our dog, he just walked away from the scene."
Miss Jhoollun called the police twice but was referred both times to the ambulance service. She also called her boyfriend, who raced over in his car.
Mr Pigott said: "It was horrific. They kept up a sustained attack on Coco for half an hour. Ranu had tried to fend off the dogs and, when I arrived, there was one attacking Coco's neck and head and the other attacking different parts of her body.
"Coco is not an aggressive dog and was just playing dead. We tried to get the two dogs off her but every time we had moved one away, it would come back for more when we went for the other one.
"Eventually we managed to get one about 15 metres away, which Ranu held on to and then I got the second one away. We scooped up Coco and rushed her in the car to the Anne Nelson Vets, where she was treated."
Mr Pigott said they were concerned Coco would have to be put down after it looked like her liver might fail on Friday, but added: "I am delighted that she has pulled through, but I want as many people as possible to know this happened.
"I have had very little response from the authorities. The RSPCA and the dog warden at Croydon Council referred me to the police but they haven't called back since we reported it last Tuesday."
Croydon police confirmed they had received two calls on April 2 about the dog attack, but said it was not a crime unless a dog attacked a person. A spokesman suggested the couple contact the Safer Neighbourhood Team.
Miss Jhoollun said the pitbull owner was a white male about 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in tall, of stocky build with short brown hair. The dogs were a speckled brown colour and one of them had a white patch on the chest.
"I think these dogs should be put down and the owner prosecuted, but this is unlikely to happen now," Mr Pigott said.
