A JACK Russell owner is appealing for dog owners to keep their pets on the lead when they are being walked near other dogs.

Jenny Spicer, aged 26, of West Malvern Road, said her dog, Jake, was regularly being attacked during walks on the Malvern Hills.

"We'll put him on the lead so we can control him but then dogs attack him while he's on the lead," said Miss Spicer.

"A dog ran up to him recently and flipped him into the air because he is so small!

"It was a bit distressing but I know that Jake has attacked other dogs in the past so I can see it from both points of view.

"Other dog owners don't always think there's a problem and think their dogs have the right to be free but I think what we'll do is keep him on the lead when we see other dogs," she said.

But she added she was worried about the question of liability and vets bills.

"If your dog gets hurts then half the time there's no way of tracking down the owners of the other dog if you need to take your dog to a vet," said Miss Spicer.

"At the end of the day I don't want to end up paying someone else's vets bills and I don't want the guilt of knowing my dog's attacked another dog," she added.

Malvern dog trainer and advisor on problem pets, Andrea Gordon, said it was not common for dogs to be attacked and injured by other dogs.

"However it does happen and can only be attributed to irresponsible pet dog management in general," she said.

"People who own unreliable dogs need to make sure that their dogs are trained to a high standard of obedience so that they can be reclaimed from potential conflicts with other dogs.

"Otherwise they need to physically restrain their dog by keeping it on a lead at all times," she said.