Dog mauled to death during walk on Bristol Harbourside

A dog has been mauled to death while on a mid-afternoon walk along Bristol’s harbourside.

Eleven-year-old Max, who was blind and weighed just eight kilograms (1st 3lbs), died after being attacked by a grey Pitbull-type dog at about 16:00 BST on Friday in Hanover Place, next to Bristol Marina.

Police are investigating and Max’s owners Charlotte Sipson, 32, and Joe McKenna, 34, have spoken out to warn others using the waterfront route about the “dangerous” dog, which left the scene with its owner after the attack.

“I’m just so scared that this dog’s still out there because the way that he came in and hit Max like a bus […] he could do that to anybody,” said Ms Sipson.

Ms Sipson and Max had been walking with a friend and friend’s newborn baby when suddenly the dog came “out of nowhere, like a bolt from the blue”.

“It went straight for Max and attacked him, clamped his jaws around [him] and wouldn’t let go,” said Mr McKenna, describing how Ms Sipson and her friend had been forced to fend the dog off, even attempting to prise its jaws open.

Once it had dropped Max a few people attempted to apprehend the dog, before it began circling a group of small children.

It was at this point, Ms Sipson said, that the owner – described as heavily-tattooed, white, in his 30s and about 1.75 metres (5ft 9ins) tall – appeared “out of nowhere”.

“He grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck and fled the scene […] didn’t stop, say sorry or give any details – literally just kind of got [him] and ran,” Mr McKenna said.

“The owner’s clearly not in control, clearly doesn’t care,” he added. “There was no collar, there’s no lead on this thing – it’s allowed to roam free and that’s dangerous.”

“The harbourside is just not somewhere you would expect for this to happen and there’s so many people walking their dogs with their families that I just think people need to be aware,” Ms Sipson, who is also seven months pregnant, added.

A number of people at the marina, as well as concerned passers-by, came to her aid at the time of the incident – with some attempting to follow the dog before it disappeared.

Another witness who had parked nearby took Ms Sipson to the vets, while others offered describing what they had seen.

“Everybody was so helpful […] it was such a scary situation so I feel grateful that everybody stayed to help,” Ms Sipson said.

“It makes you feel like there are some good people in the world.”

Avon and Somerset Police is investigating the incident, with witnesses who have not already done so urged to contact the force.

But even with the dog still on the loose, Ms Sipson and Mr McKenna are now having to come to terms with Max’s loss, describing him as the “sweetest, calmest” dog and “happiest little chap”.

“The flashbacks of the actual attack are quite hard to deal [with] – I’m going to have to find a way to kind of compartmentalize it because it was really quite graphic,” Ms Sipson said.

Mr McKenna added: “Max had had cancer and he had diabetes he’d gone blind and he’d been through all of that – we were desperate for him to meet our baby which is due in November and now he won’t get that chance.”