A DOG owner has spoken out after his pet was mauled by an Alsatian and left battling a deadly e-coli infection.

Andrew Hall, of Guinea Close, Braintree, said he had been left “devastated” by the incident, which could still kill three-yearold King Charles Spaniel and Yorkshire Terrier cross Archie.

The 44-year-old said the Alsatian ran out of a house in Bridport Way and attacked his dog while it was on the lead.

He said: “I had gone for a 15 minute walk around the block.

"Out of the corner of my eye I saw the door open and there were two dogs there.

“One of them just came steaming out the front door.

“I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing and hearing.

“Archie was literally in his mouth. I was shouting and tried to pull it away. After three seconds it was over and the owner had come out and stopped it.

“I carried him to a nearby doorway and held a handkerchief to the open body wound.

“I thought he was going to die from the injury, bleeding, or shock. I could not get him home because he was too badly injured.”

Braintree and Witham Times:

                      Archie is still receiving treatment for an e-coli infection in an open wound

The sales manager initially rushed Archie to Millennium Vets in Millennium Way, but he is now being seen by a specialist after contracting the potentially fatal infection.

He said: “He had emergency surgery, it was many, many, many stitches.

“He was in there for five days and then came home, but he had to go back again because of the severity of the wound. He’s got a strain of e-coli, which needs treatment.”

Archie will need to be sedated every other day for three weeks so his wound can be cleaned and bandaged.

Mr Hall said: “We all hope that Archie pulls through. Aside from the personal trauma of having witnessed the assault, I am desperately concerned that this has happened on an estate with numerous small dogs and, more importantly, small children.”

The Alsation owner declined to comment because the incident, on November 2, is being investigated by Braintree Council.

A council spokesman said: “Our dog warden team is investigating the incident so it is not appropriate for us to comment further until the completion of our investigation.”