Giant dog bites off volunteer's hand at kennels

A care home nurse from Cambridgeshire has spoken of the horrifying ordeal that saw her lose her right hand during an attack by a large dog at a kennel in Wisbech.

Sue Scarlett, 64, was set upon by the 14 stone mongrel while cleaning the kennels, an activity for which had given up her spare time in order to help a friend.

The grandmother, who described the dog as having a grey and black coat with paws the size of her own hands, told Cambridgeshire Live: "I shouted to him to let go but he just held on tighter. After what seemed like hours my husband heard me and tried to pull the dog away but was unable to do so.

"I remember thinking that I would have a few broken bones when he finished. But at that time I looked down and saw my right hand lying on the concrete in a pool of blood."

The dogs were normally kept in the kennels, but Sue had let them out to so she could clean the room and change the water in the run while the dogs ran in the surrounding field.

However, the dog thrust his head partially into the run and grabbed her right arm.

Sue said she dropped to her knees to push the kennel gate against him for fear of him getting into the kennel and mauling her to death.

After a couple of minutes Sue's husband and another man heard her calls for help and were able to get the dog back in its kennel.

She added: "As I looked up I saw him looking at me and there was blood all round his mouth.

"As a nurse I knew that I was in big trouble so told my husband that he needed to put a tourniquet - compressing device - above the wound, which he did using his jacket.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance arrived at the scene a long with two doctors, a paramedic and police.

Sue said: "Without the swift action and interventions of the East Anglian Air Ambulance crew I would not be here today."

The police attended the scene and a vet later put the dog to sleep.

Since the attack, Sue has thanked East Anglian Air Ambulance service for their life saving efforts and is now aiming to do a tandem skydiving fundraising event for the charity in May.