A couple have been deprived of their beloved family pet and left traumatised by a shocking dog attack.

A couple have been deprived of their beloved family pet and left traumatised by a shocking dog attack.

Milo, an eight-year-old chihuahua belonging to Phillip and Christine Rudge, both 65, of Ripple Road, Barking, was attacked by a bullmastiff three times its size as she was being taken for a walk on Saturday, January 11.

The bullmastiff, a breed which is not controlled by law despite its ferocity, tore through Milo’s main artery, leaving Christine distraught.

She said: “The attack itself was terrible, but the emotional scars it has left upon our family have been huge.

“We picked her out when she was just two weeks old and she’s been one of us ever since – she even slept in one of our beds.”

Police were called just after 7pm, but both animals had left the scene when officers arrived.

Milo was taken to a vet’s surgery where she was pronounced dead.

The bullmastiff is now back with its owner, who lives near the home of the couple’s son-in-law Jason Spencer, 41, of Keir Hardie Way.

But after witnessing the damage it caused, Phillip wants to see the animal removed from the streets.

“We just want justice,” he said. “You don’t get bad dogs, you get bad owners.

“It’s terrifying to think this animal could potentially carry out a similar attack.”