A Jack Russell terrier was left fighting for its life after being savaged by a vicious dog in front of a group of nursery school children.

Helen Cushen, a children’s nurse from South Norwood, was walking her dog Penny on March 5 when she was attacked by a dog off its lead in a park near the Croydon Sports Arena.

Miss Cushen, 39, said: “The dog ran straight up to Penny dug its teeth into her chest and threw her around. I was horrified, I was screaming ‘stop him, he’s killing her.’”

She said the dog appeared to be with two teenage boys and another dog.

One of them ran up and managed to get Penny out of her attacker’s jaw, while the other boy tied the second dog to his bicycle.

“Penny was in a bad way, I was holding her to my chest and felt the blood pumping out of her. She seemed to be going into shock, she yelped in pain when I moved.

“There were nursery school children in the park, it was quite traumatic for them.”

The distraught children’s nurse ran about in a panic asking someone to help her to the nearest vet.

Eventually a kind-hearted man driving a van offered to take her to the vet.

She said: “The man that took me to the vet’s was a diamond, if she lives it is down to him.

“He tried to comfort Penny, she loves people so much she just wagged her tail.

“The vet said she was in a bad way. It was touch and go for a while but she seems to be doing much better.

“Her ribs are smashed and she is unable to move.”

The brave terrier is recovering at the surgery and Miss Cushen is working extra shifts at local hospitals to try pay the £600 vets bill.

She said: “I will do what I can to save her, I am a nurse am on a low income struggling to survive.”

Sergeant Steve Clancey, from Woodside Safer Neighbourhood Team, was at the scene shortly after the attack which took place at about 1.30pm and he helped Miss Cushen find a vet.

He said: “We are appealing for anyone who saw the incident to come forward. We have a description of the dog.

“Technically it is an offence of the dog being dangerously out of control.

“We need to ascertain the circumstances of the attack and are urging any witnesses to come forward.”