Loose 'Akita' dog kills Yorkshire terrier on Swindon estate

Zoe Hunt was looking after dogs Lola and Toby for her friend Karen Hart, who was on holiday, when she took them both for a walk in the Nythe area of Swindon on April 4 at 9.30am. 

She was on Nyland Road approaching her home in Purbeck Close when suddenly 'black Akita X' came from behind her and immediately attacked Lola in what she described as 'an ambush'. 

The attacking dog was unaccompanied and off-lead and pinned the helpless Lola to the floor, biting her stomach and chest, before then biting her neck. It also bit Zoe as she tried to save her friend's pet. 

After the attack, Zoe desperately attempted to give Lola CPR for 15 minutes, before carrying her home while still doing CPR, but she said she could tell 'from her colour' that she had already died from her catastrophic injuries. 

Karen's dogs Toby and Lola (Image: Karen Hart)

Zoe then had the harrowing task of having to call Karen and tell her the awful news, before taking Lola to the vet where it was confirmed that she had been killed by the first bite during the attack which had pierced her heart. 

Zoe also needed treatment for her own injuries, on her leg and backside, at the Great Western Hospital. 

The pair are now asking for help to identify the dog in question and the dog's owner, who was nowhere to be seen before, during or after the attack. 

"It has been a horrendous time," said Zoe, who has not slept since the incident.

'Sweetest dog' Lola (Image: Karen Hart)

"It has had a profound effect on me, I don't want to leave my gate and I'm not walking my dogs at the moment.

"Lola was one of those sweet dogs, whenever you said her name or called for her, she would roll onto her belly waiting for a rub. I can't unsee her being pinned, when I shut my eyes it is all I see."

Zoe, who runs a small animal rescue, added that she is harbouring a lot of guilt because her friend's dog was killed while she was looking after it. 

"I do feel guilty, I failed her owner, she was in my care and I didn't protect her well enough. I have worked with animals all my life and that scared the hell out of me."

Karen and Lola (Image: Karen Hart)

Karen, 50, from Cricklade, has also been similarly affected, particularly because of the circumstances. 

She said: "It was horrendous, we were on holiday, my grandchildren were there and adore the dogs, we decided that we weren’t going to ruin their holiday and so didn't tell them.

"We were trying to put on this happy face even though we were hurting inside, and it was awful when we did get back and told them."

Since returning home she has noticed a change in her other dog Toby, who was able to escape during the attack and ran to safety at Zoe's house. 

"Since my dog was brutally murdered I have not been walking Toby," she said. 

A distressed Toby after the attack (Image: Karen Hart)

"He looks so, so sad, and I can't bring myself to take him for a walk without Lola, who would have been ten yesterday, they just went together."

She added that she didn't blame Zoe at all, saying that she did all she could to save Lola, including getting hurt herself.

"We’ve been devastated by everything that’s happened, but we weren't there, poor Zoe is the one that has to deal with this, with seeing it happen. 

"She’s looked after my dogs for eight years, and she loves them as much as we love them, for this to happen is awful. 

"But she didn't do this, the person whose dog this is did this."

Zoe reported the attack to Wiltshire Police who told her that someone would be in touch to collect the information. 

After a few days, she rang back and was told that someone would visit but it could 'take seven days'. 

Lola (Image: Karen Hart)

In the meantime, the pair are now worried that this dog, which has killed another dog and bitten a person, is still out there so they have asked the public for help in tracking it down. 

"We need to find this dog and the owner before something else happens, Karen said, "Because it will do it again."

Zoe added: "I'm so scared about what might happen next. There are lots of people with dogs in the area, many of them elderly who wouldn't stand a chance and there are two schools, it could kill another dog, or it could attack a child."

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "We have received a report of a dog attack which occurred in Nyland Road at approximately 9.30am on April 4.

"The incident has been assigned to an officer and enquiries are currently ongoing.

"Witnesses to the incident should call 101 and quote crime reference number 54240038747."