Family pet dog mauled to death in horrific backyard attack

"THEY could have ripped us to pieces, especially that brown one - he was so angry and just launching himself at me."

HEARTBREAKING: Dean Watson, 11, sits with his pet dog after she was mauled by two dogs who had come onto his property.

"I WOKE to big screams."

That's what 11-year-old Dean Watson said this morning - and now his pet dog he has known all his life is dead.

Running to the front door of his Regency Downs home, Dean saw his mum, Christine Watson, fleeing from two dogs.

"I saw mum yelling at these dogs ... they were trying to grab at her," Dean said.

Not knowing what to do, Dean armed himself with a "massive big log of a stick" and rushed toward the dogs.

"They looked like they were going to have a piece of her," he said.

Christine and Dean Watson, 11, could not save their 13-year-old staffy Sky from a horrific dog attack in their own backyard. Picture: Contributed

Christine Watson, who lives on a 1.5 acre property, said she had just let the family's 13-year-old staffy, Sky outside for a wee just after dawn.

"She only got like five metres and these dogs are on her," Christine said.

Christine saw two big dogs, one brown and one black and said the brown one grabbed Sky in its teeth and ran with her.

Running after the dogs and yelling at them to drop Sky, Christine found herself in danger.

Sky, the 13-year-old staffy, was mauled by two dogs this morning in her own backyard. Picture: Contributed

"They turned on me and started barking at me ... they went to attack me," she said.

"They could have ripped us to pieces, especially that brown one - he was so angry and just launching himself at me."

To take refuge, Christine climbed inside an old truck parked at the back of the property.

"I started yelling at them to back off and was trying to take pictures of them," she said.

"S--t, it was petrifying."

Once the dogs had finally retreated, Christine ran to Sky and found she was covered in blood.

"There was blood everywhere and she had holes everywhere in her," she said.

"Her lung was literally coming out of her ribcage because they had hurt her so bad."

Sky was put down, after a vet advised nothing could be done to save her.

The family spent the morning burying her in their backyard.

Sky, the 13-year-old staffy, was mauled by two dogs this morning in her own backyard. Picture: Contributed

Christine said she had heard other stories of dog attacks happening in her neighbourhood.

"That can't be happening - what if there was a kid in the yard," she said.

"If that had been a child, I have no doubt whatsoever the big brown dog would have done some damage - it was going to have me and I'm an adult."

She said dog owners needed to be held accountable for their animals.

"My dog never even left her own yard," she said.

Sky, the 13-year-old staffy, was mauled by two dogs this morning in her own backyard. Picture: Contributed

"She was in her own home and should have been able to go out(side)."

Christine has reported the incident to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

The LVRC said in a statement it was aware of the attack and was actively patrolling the area.

"Council takes instances of dog attacks seriously and deployed officers to the region immediately after being notified," the statement said. 　

"It is always our first priority to ensure the safety of the community by locating the dogs responsible.

"Officers are investigating the matter in accordance with legislative processes to ensure satisfactory and appropriate outcomes are achieved."

Originally published as Family pet dog mauled to death in horrific backyard attack