DOG ATTACK: Beloved pet shaken like a 'rag doll'

Just days after her husband passed away, a Hervey Bay woman was fighting to save her dog's life from the jaws of two Irish wolfhounds

TERRIFYING: Jen Howson with her seven-year-old Maltese cross shih tzu Murphy, who was attacked by two Irish Wolfhounds in a Point Vernon park on Tuesday. Picture: Cody Fox

JUST days after her husband passed away, a Hervey Bay woman was fighting to save her dog's life from the jaws of two Irish wolfhounds.

Jen Howson was walking her shih tzu cross maltese terrier Murphy through Parraweena Park at Point Vernon, on Tuesday afternoon, when she saw two massive dogs run towards her.

Mrs Howson said she thought they would bound up and have a sniff and that would be that.

But when the dogs got closer, she saw their teeth were barred and knew Murphy was in danger.

"The first dog, which was a very pale brown colour, latched onto Murphy," Mrs Howson said.

"He was just shaking him like a rag doll.

"I was screaming because I'd just lost my husband, and I was saying no, no I can't lose him as well."

Mrs Howson said the main instigator was the bigger of the pair, but its smaller companion turned on Murphy too.

She said the male owner finally reached her and wrestled the bigger dog off Murphy and took it to his car.

"By this stage, the woman was getting the other dog off Murphy," she said.

"She managed to get it off Murphy and took that dog back to the car."

Overwhelmed by feelings of panic, Mrs Howson phoned her neighbour for help.

The woman handed Mrs Howson a piece of paper with a name and a mobile phone number on it.

Mrs Howson said when her neighbour arrived, the pair took off.

"I was left on the ground with this helpless, bleeding and crying dog," she said.

She reported the incident to Fraser Coast Regional Council and an officer arrived that night.

But when the officer tried to phone the number, he noticed there were too many digits.

Mrs Howson said the officer tried every combination he could, but none of them reached the woman who handed her the note.

Thankfully, Murphy only suffered puncture wounds and muscle damage and his injuries were treated by a veterinarian.

Mrs Howson is terrified the dogs who attacked Murphy will do it again.

She shared her story with the Chronicle in the hope the community would be on the look-out for the offending dogs.

She said they were driving a four-wheel drive utility with an enclosed canopy on the back, with Western Australian number plates.

Originally published as DOG ATTACK: Beloved pet shaken like a 'rag doll'