A 'bear-like' dog mauled and killed a small family pet after biting and shaking it like a 'slipper'.

Olga Studinska and her husband were walking in Beddington Park on Saturday with their two dogs when a large akita sunk its teeth into Miki, a rescue dog the couple brought over from Greece 13 years ago.

The akita eventually let go of Miki, but he died a short time afterwards.

The owner of the akita, who has asked to remain anonymous, was out with his family and has said his animal was on a leash when the incident took place.

Sutton police have confirmed his family went home while he remained to await police.

A spokesman for Sutton Police has also confirmed the owner has co-operated with their investigations at all times as they continue to collect information about the incident.

Mrs Studinska said: "I don't want to speak about my emotions, it's about what happened and how it could just as easily have been a child.

"It could also have killed my husband.

"He injured his hand when he was trying to make it let go of Miki."

As an older dog Miki had gone deaf and did not hear the approaching animal.

She said: "It just grabbed him, picked him up and started shaking him.

"We tried to make him release our dog. My husband tried to open the dogs jaws.

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Miki's owners took this photo of the akita dog after the attack

"When the dog dropped him, he wasn't moving, he wasn't opening his eyes.

"It was just one bite and because he was such a tiny dog it was enough to kill him."

She claimed the akita's owners stood "calm and passively" during the attack and afterwards tried to walk off before being shouted at to stay.

Mrs Studinska said: "We didn't go to the park to have this, to have my dog killed.

"They started leaving, slowly, step by step.

"I started shouting. He didn't want to give us his details.

"We had to take Miki to a vet to try to save him but he was dead on arrival."

The couple have created posters with pictures of the akita and are asking for witnesses to help track the owners down.

Police have been called in to investigate the use of these posters by the akita owner, as they include pictures taken without permission of his child.

The attack which was seen by Paul Velissarides, 53, of The Drive, Wallington.

He said: "There was a big dog, it looked like it had a slipper in its mouth.

"I walked up to where the owners, where the dog was still alive. I told them to put a coat on him to keep in its warmth.

"It had a big bite in its side in the stomach, it was in shock at the time when it was still alive."

Sutton police is still investigating. Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting crime ref: 4013379/14.