A woman has relived her horror after being mauled by a vicious dog just yards from her Golcar home.
Mrs Elizabeth Duffield spent five days in hospital after the attack, which left her with horrific hand injuries and the loss of the use of three fingers on her right hand.
Elizabeth, 54, said that she is now scared to go outside again after the terrifying incident, which happened as she tried to protect her own pet dog, a Jack Russell called Buster.
She tried to pull him to safety after he was grabbed by a pitbull-type dog thought to belong to one of a group of teenagers in a field only seconds from her front gate in Lilac Walk .
Police are now hunting the owner and dog, who launched the attack last Thursday (13th) at around 4.15pm.
Elizabeth was rushed to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary last Thursday by ambulance but was then transferred to Bradford Royal Infirmary where she has undergone two operations by plastic surgeons to try repair a hole in her hand and restore feeling to her fingers.
She was discharged on Tuesday teatime but faces a further operation on Friday and is now wearing a large blue cast on her right arm and bandage on her left thumb.
Elizabeth said: “I can’t remember a lot but the whole experience was terrifying.
“I had just taken Buster out for a stroll when I noticed a group of boys with a pitbull.
“I called him back but the dog saw him and raced over and grabbed him around the head.
“I tried to pick him up but dropped him and that was when the dog turned on me.
“I was lying in the field for about 40 minutes before the ambulance came and there was blood all over.
“My first thought was to get someone to get Buster inside.”
Fortunately she was helped by several kind neighbours, one of whom fought the dog off with a stump of wood and calmed her whilst she waited for the ambulance.
The dog received treatment for his injuries and Elizabeth, who is a full time carer for her husband, John, now faces a painful recovery and a fear to leave her house again.
She said: “I’m really worried about going out again, especially because the dog has not yet been caught.
“I hope that they manage to catch it because next time it could get a child, which would be terrible.
“What happened was horrible and not only do I have these injuries but I can’t care for my husband, which is having a big impact.
“Luckily my daughter, Karen, is helping us but we could really do with some home help from the council.”
Her angry husband John said: “She was lucky it wasn’t any worse.
“It is frightening to think this happened just after she had walked out of her own house.
“We’re very grateful to Julie and our other neighbours who helped us.”
Anyone with any information should contact the police on 101.
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