A woman who was attacked by her XL Bully dog in Co Down on Thursday night has said that she thought that she was going to die.
Police officers and ambulance crews were called to the incident at Rathmullan Drive, Newtownards shortly after 6pm following reports that a man and woman had been attacked by a dog.
The street was sealed off for a time and there was a large police presence in the area which resulted in officers discharging shots to destroy the animal.
Speaking to BBC News, the owner of the dog, who would only give her name as Ashton, said that she had closed the gate, stroked the dog on the face and he latched onto her.
"Before I knew it, I was at the other end of the garden. I actually thought I was going to die, I thought I was going to die. For my partner if it wasn't for him, I would probably be dead.
"I can't fault the PSNI, they did everything they possibly could. At the end of the day, there was a risk to public safety and everybody else in the street."
Ashton said she had owned the XL Bully for around seven years and that it was in a "healthy, fit condition".
She also told the BBC that council and animal welfare officers had been at her property on multiple occasions, but hadn't identified any problems with her dogs, but she declined to comment when asked whether her dog had attacked her, or anyone else, before.
"If I knew that dog was capable of doing that, that dog wouldn't have been here," she said.
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police attended a property in the Rathmullen Drive area of Newtownards on Thursday 3rd April, following a report that a dog attacked a man and a woman.
"The man and woman were given first aid for their injuries at the scene before being conveyed to hospital. The dog was destroyed by specially trained officers, due to the risk to the public.
"As is normal procedure, the office of the Police Ombudsman have been informed."
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English (United States) ·