A brave grandmother told how SHE attacked an Alsatian and sank her DENTURES into the savage dog in a desperate bid to stop it mauling her pet terrier.
Devastated June Hatton, 80, was walking her Yorkshire Terrier Milly when an off-the-lead Alsatian sprang from nowhere and attacked her beloved dog.
June deperately tried to stop the horrific attack – including biting the Alsation with her false teeth – but failed to distract the beast and came away with mouthfuls of its hair.
Sadly, the attack was so ferocious little Milly didn’t stand a chance and – despite June’s best efforts – she died in the onslaught.
June said: ” I bit him through instinct – and I would definitely do the same again.
“Trying to sink my false teeth into that Alsation was all I could think to do to stop him killing Milly.
“It was instinct I guess. He was biting my dog so I bit him. I had to try everything and I didn’t have anything else to hand. Biting him seemed the only way.
“I would do anything to save my dog. When I tell people what I did, they understand that.
“The tragedy is I could not get a decent grip. Whether it was because of my dentures or not I don’t know.
“But while the Alsation clamped my dog in its jaws – all I I ended up with when I tried to do the same to him my mouth was his hair.
“The Alsation had its jaws so tightly around my dog’s neck and just would not let her go.
“It happened so quickly that I did not really have the time to think.”
June, a retired chiropodist of Brixham, Devon, is still struggling to come to terms with Milly’s death.
She said: “I was walking without a care in the world when a horrible dog, an Alsatian, came from nowhere and pounced on my dog and before my eyes clamped its mouth around her neck.
“I fell to the ground and I tried to bite the dog but all I had was a mouth full of hair. If I had a knife then I would have stabbed it.
“In just a split second, the dog had hold of my dog by the throat. I don’t know how I ended up falling down, but you do easily lose your balance at my age.
“I think I was in shock really, and I didn’t have anything I could use, so I had no other option but to bite it.
“I only have a few teeth left of my own, and I have dentures on a plate at the top. They did manage to stay in.
“I wished I had something else on me to attack the dog with, but I didn’t.
“Milly was a feisty little thing, that’s Yorkshire terriers for you, but I loved her, she had a good character.
“We went everywhere together and spent all our time together. She was the meaning to my life.
“When I shut my eyes, the memory of her warm little body comes back to me and I try to recall all the good times.
June, who has three sons and one grandson, had owned Milly for about a year and four months after taking her from a rescue centre.
She added: “I’ll never forget how helpless I felt as I could not save my dog. I remember her eyes. I will be haunted for the rest of my life.
“The owner came running up. She was very sorry. It all happened so quickly, it was all over in two minutes.
“I don’t think it is her fault, a member of the family had left the gate open and two dogs escaped, one of which went on a rampage and ran over and attacked my dog.
“It was an incredibly unfortunate incident, but I don’t blame the owners.”
Police were informed about the attack in Ipplepen, Devon, but a police spokesman said it was a civil matter.
He said: “Words of advice were given to the owner of the offending dog and the owner has apologised to the deceased dog’s owner.
“She has signed a Voluntary Control Order notice, will ensure the dog wears a muzzle when in public and has made a financial contribution to the family.”
