A dog owner from Esher is urging people to keep their pets on a lead after her puppy was attacked just metres from her home.

Annise Sheargold, 65, of Cranbrook Drive, said she was walking her two dogs, 10-month-old Sunshine, and seven-year-old Zuki, along her road at about 10pm on Wednesday, July 31, when a bull mastiff-type dog, which was not on a lead, charged at her puppy from across the road.

The dog then picked up Sunshine by the neck and “shook her like a doll”, causing three bleeding bite marks, Ms Sheargold said.

Ms Sheargold said the dog, which also bite her, only dropped her puppy and ran away after a light came on in a nearby house.

After paying a £50 vet bill, both dogs, which were shaken by the incident returned home, but will no longer go outside.

Ms Sheargold said: “It’s shredded my life in the respect the dogs won’t go out walking. It is not fair on the dogs. Zuki will not go out and Sunshine won’t go out without Zuki so it is a catch-22 position really.

“I have been really depressed about it in all honesty. I just want to see dogs on leads or a muzzle.”

The police were informed of the incident and Ms Sheargold is urging residents to keep their dogs on a lead and under control to prevent similar attacks.