Dog's mutilation horrifies family

The school holidays have ended on a sour note for a Napier family after their dog had part of a paw, including a claw, ripped off by another dog.

The McCarthy family's jack russell Roofus was attacked on Tuesday afternoon, despite being enclosed behind their property fence, while Wendy McCarthy left home for half an hour.

She returned to find a bloody mess, part of one paw detached on the pavement nearby and part of another also badly damaged, and requiring to be surgically removed.

He is now quiet, subdued and has trouble walking even a slight distance.

"The kids were devastated because they do everything with him," Mrs McCarthy said. "He's not the same, not the same at all. He's obviously in a lot of pain and the annoying thing is, because we're home with school holidays he wants to be with us.

"He's not jumping up and giving them snuggles like he normally does. We go for heaps of walks and bike riding and we can't do that, well, we can but without him, and he just sits there and cries at the gate."

Mrs McCarthy has also been left with a $475 veterinary bill for Roofus' emergency surgery that evening, but it is expected to increase with another four or five visits required.

She said one of her neighbours heard yelping and saw a dog being walked by a woman "yanked" away from the property fence.

"Roofus was behind our fence. It wasn't even like he was out on the footpath. I don't think they realised the extent of how bad it is. Then just to walk away and not have a look - surely you would have seen the blood."

She wanted the dog owner responsible to come forward and apologise.

"I just want the lady to be aware of what's happened. An apology would be nice. To leave my dog in a state with his bone sticking out and my kids seeing it ... It's pretty heinous."