A has vet said they witnessed some of the "worst injuries they have seen" after a nine-year-old Shih Tzu was attacked by an XL bulldog-type dog.

Oscar was killed in the brutal attack when the large dog slipped its lead in Marton, Middlesbrough, and latched onto the elderly house pet, heartbroken owner Paul Regan said.

He told Teesside Live the ordeal lasted 10 minutes and said it was the most horrific thing he has ever witnessed.

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The incident took place on Tuesday at around 6.30pm. Paul, 41, said he and his partner were walking Oscar and five-year-old Ollie, who is also a Shih Tzu, when they saw a man walking two XL bulldogs about 10 metres away.

The dog began to jump up and down and suddenly slipped its harness. "He just absolutely darted at us. Within seconds he had a hold of Oscar's throat," said Paul.

Brutally, when the owner of the Bully tried to help he let go of the lead and the second dog began to attack as well.

They rushed the dog to the vet, but it was too late. "I knew he was gone but I felt like we had to try," Paul said.

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In a letter from Vets for Pets, a veterinary surgeon said: "Oscar's wounds were assessed and these are amongst the most severe injuries of a dog attack my team and I have ever seen, the most severe of which was the neck injury."

Graphic pictures of the injuries show deep gouges to Oscar's neck and body. Paul, a heating and ventilation engineer, said he and his family are struggling to sleep after the tragic loss.

"I haven't slept for two days now. I've never seen something so brutal in my life," he said.

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