A MOTHER is warning owners of animals to take more care after her labrador was attacked by another dog.

Lisa Frame of Hawthorn Way, Royston, spoke out after her labrador Spike was left with three bite marks and severe swelling after being bitten by a neighbour’s Staffordshire terrier.

The mother of two is now afraid of letting her young daughters walk past the house the terrier is kept at, and has a �500 vets bill to deal with.

Describing the incident, she said: “My other half was out walking Spike when a dog ran out of a house and attacked him.

“He tried to get the dog off, but he had his teeth in Spike’s neck. He had to grab the Staff by the collar and turn it until it relinquished.

“We called the vet in straight away and they confirmed that they would have to put stitches in Spikes back and neck.”

Mrs Frame’s eldest child Coral McCarthy, 12, is now scared to walk past the house on her way to Greneway School, while Amber, 6, is not allowed to play out at the end of the street where the Staff is kept.

“This is not a vendetta against the owner, but if you have one, you must take responsibility and control,” said Mrs Frame.

“It could have been Amber who was attacked, or a baby in a pushchair. We have been left with a lethargic dog who doesn’t want to go out, and there has been little remorse shown by the neighbour.”

The owner of the dog, Craig Ensor, of Hawthorn Way, said there was little that could have been done.

“It was just one of those things,” he said. “He is not a vicious dog, and this sort of thing has never happened before.

“I had no reason to think he would run out of the house and do this, as it’s not the sort of thing I have come to expect from him.

“I have now got a harness for him, and I’m walking him somewhere quieter to try and avoid this happening again.”