A DOG grabbed a woman’s pet labrador by its neck in a vicious and unprovoked attack.

Debbie Heason was left shocked and covered in animal blood after setting out on a peaceful dog walk in Perry Wood, Ronkswood, Worcester, last Tuesday.

It was the middle of the afternoon when she and three-year-old chocolate labrador Buddy came across a middle-aged woman walking what looked like a tan-coloured bullmastiff near the entrance to the wood at Peterborough Close.

Mrs Heason, aged 43, put her dog on a lead as she approached the mastiff, which was also leashed.

However, the powerful animal dragged its owner across the pavement before grabbing Buddy by the neck.

She said: “I thought I’d be cautious as the dog looked like a mastiff and the lady had told him to sit, so I then put Buddy on his lead and stopped.

“We talked and she said how the dog was her son’s and that it was a nice day – then in about three seconds this dog just went straight for Buddy.

“It had him by the neck. I was just yelling and we were both kicking and hitting the dog to get him off.

“I got down on my knees and tried to pry the mastiff’s jaws off Buddy, but it was no good.”

Three men, hearing Mrs Heason’s cries for help, came over and one took the mastiff’s lead off the other woman to try to work him free.

“I realised the mastiff only had hold of Buddy’s leash, so I slipped it off and we ran. The woman shouted that she was sorry as I ran down the hill.

“I really believe she wouldn’t have brought that dog if she thought that it was dangerous.”

In the melee, Mrs Heason was left covered in the mastiff’s saliva and blood from its face where it had been repeatedly struck.

Buddy was left with a bruised neck but is recovering well.

Mrs Heason, a home care worker for Worcestershire County Council, said she had never had trouble in 19 years of walking her dogs at the wood.

She said: “I dread to think that dog is still out there and what it might do to a child.”