A STUNNED disabled man has hit out at irresponsible dog owners after his assistance dog was hurt in a vicious attack.

Disability campaigner Barry O’Connell was out walking with long-time assistance pooch Guy on Monday morning.

They were in Brighton Road, Holland-on-Sea, when another owner walked towards them with a Boxer at his heels with no lead.

As they got closer the Boxer launched itself at Guy.

Barry said: “I saw the dog coming towards us with no lead on and I knew from the way it was approaching that there was going to be trouble.

“He launched himself at my dog’s throat.

“Fortunately Guy turned a bit before the impact. He got a real wallop but the Boxer didn’t manage to bite him properly.”

Brave Barry was forced to put himself in harm’s way to get between the dogs and push the Boxer away.

“My only thought was to get between them,” he said.

“I tried to remain calm and got my wheelchair in between so the Boxer couldn’t get to Guy.

“I thought it could do what it likes to me, I’ve been bitten before. I was just concerned about Guy.

“He is a highly trained £10,000 piece of equipment, but he is also a great and loyal companion.”

Barry suffered major spinal injuries in 2005 but was given a new lease of life when he got Guy through charity Canine Partners.

The pooch can do everything from taking shopping from shelves and pushing the button at a street crossing to removing the card, cash and receipt from an ATM.

Barry added: “He is everything to me. He has even saved my life before when a lorry almost hit me, and Guy put himself between me and the truck.

“Thankfully he wasn’t badly hurt, just shaken up after this attack.

“But dog owners have got to be more careful. For this man to be walking along the pavement with his dog off a lead, with no control over it, is so dangerous and irresponsible.

“Owners have got to have a better understanding of their pets.

“I asked the other dog’s owner for his name and address repeatedly, but they just ran off.

“We feel lucky that the end result wasn’t worse in this case.”

The incident happened at about 10.40am in Brighton Road on Monday.

Barry says the owner of the Boxer was a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He has reported the incident to police and anyone with information should call 101.

New laws were brought in as part of the Crime and Policing Act 2014 making an attack on an assistance dog an aggravated offence.

Owners of offending dogs can get up to three years in prison.