A FATHER, his nine-year-old son and their puppy were attacked by two bull terriers while walking in the Heavens in Stroud.

They had been walking with Ellie, an eight-month-old border terrier, around 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 6 from the Gunhouse Lane direction through some fields when they saw a young man sitting on a fence in the Heavens with a black and white Staffordshire bull terrier and a larger black and brown mottled bull terrier.

When he released the dogs they sprang towards Ellie, biting son Findlay on the hand and dad Peter on the heel.

Findlay was taken to hospital to have the bite treated while Ellie was treated by a vet for a puncture wound to her back and a cut ear.

Peter bought Ellie for Findlay in September and was encouraging him to take the puppy for walks by himself.

"The Heavens has always been a safe place to go," said Peter, who asked for the family's surname not to be printed.

"But on this occasion Findlay did not want to go by himself so I reluctantly went with him and it was lucky I did.

"Finlay had Ellie on the lead and when the dogs attacked us she was dangling on it helplessly.

"They had her by the neck and were shaking her around like a ragdoll, biting her on the head and ear."

Following the attack, the owner took control of his dogs and walked away along the track leading towards Claypits Lane without saying anything.

Peter is concerned that the animals could be a danger to other dog walkers and is encouraging anyone with information about the owner to contact the police.

"We tried to follow him to see where he lived but by the time I had made sure Findlay and the dog were okay he was long gone," added Peter, who lives in Bowbridge.

The man is described as white, 20-25 years-old, 5ft 4ins tall, of medium build and he wore a turquoise top and black jogging trousers.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire police confirmed that officers had spoken to the family, made house-to-house inquiries and were liaising with dog wardens to try and identify the owner.

Anyone with information should call Gloucestershire police on 0845 090 1234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident 383 of April 6.