Five people, including two children, mauled in Hunter Valley dog attack
Four people, including two young girls, have been mauled while trying to save a woman being attacked by a vicious dog in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The 40-year-old woman had been walking her dog in Metford on Monday night when two unrestrained Bull Mastiffs charged.
Donald McInnes and his two daughters, aged 8 and 16, tried to help the woman and her dog but were also attacked.
“(There was) a staffy being held down by one of the dogs, a woman screaming,” Mr McInnes said.
“(The woman’s) nostril was torn open and her lip was all busted up.”
Witnesses say the two dogs had been terrorising locals before the attack on the woman and the McInnes family.
“(The male dog) started barking and charging a lady, She started screaming and then the dog turned away and went down that way,” witness Buks van Aswegen said, gesturing.
“These two dogs just come out of nowhere and started attacking people,” witness Charles Boyd added.
Mr McInnes's daughter Hope said she tried to hold back one of the two dogs but needed to help the woman in the struggle.
“Basically (the dog) tore that quarter of me hand out, (I) had it all stitched up and put back together,” Mr McInnes said.
Another man, 24, was also attacked when he came to help before police arrived.
A witness said an officer fired on one of the dogs but missed, however it was enough to scare the dogs away.
All five victims were taken to hospital for treatment.
According to AAP, the dogs were captured in a nearby park and are currently being held by Maitland City Council.
It remains unclear if the dogs will be destroyed.
