A NEWPORT woman yesterday described how a dog attack ruined her life and said the animal’s owner deserves to go to jail.

Kay Piatek, of Wolseley Road, Newport, was left “heartbroken” after an attack on Mendalgief Road left her dog Maxi dead and her needing hospital treatment for a fractured left arm and gaping wound.

The attack by a white pitbull / mastiff cross happened on September 24, 2011, when she was walking her three Yorkshire terriers – Maxi, Alfie and Mitchie.

Mrs Piatek detailed the devastating effect it had on her life after Kirk Fleming, 31, of Alexandra Road, Newport, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted owning a dog that caused injury while being dangerously out of control in a public area.

She said she still suffers nightmares and flashbacks, lost her job after taking five months’ sick leave following the incident, while Mitchie died six weeks ago from what Mrs Piatek said was “stress and trauma he never recovered from”.

The 51-year-old said: “I don’t like the thought of me sending someone to jail, but I lost two dogs after it and it’s all still pretty raw.

“He should go to prison, be punished for all the stress and trauma it caused. I lost my job, my lifestyle, my dogs, myindependence.Mylife has been totally ruined. Where do I go from here?”

The court heard that Fleming’s dog is currently being looked after by police, but Judge Stephen Hopkins said: “It has a propensity to attack people, which makes it very dangerous when out of control.”

Judge Hopkins said that a destruction order is “inevitable” when he sentences Fleming next month, adding all options are open, including a custodial sentence for the defendant.

Defence barrister Christopher Smyth said that while it is a “great sadness to him,” Fleming has prepared himself for the fact his dog must be destroyed.

He admitted the offence on a basis which will be explained to the sentencing judge on July 24. But, Mr Smyth said a friend had been in charge of the dog and “lost control” of it before Fleming tried to intervene.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Dog laws needed

THIS newspaper has reported dog attacks and their aftermath twice this week.

On Monday, we reported how an 11-year-old girl had been savaged by a dog in a garden in Newport.

Today, we reveal a Newport man has pleaded guilty to having a dog dangerously out of control in a public place after his pitbull/mastiff cross attacked three Yorkshire terriers being walked by their owner. One of the terriers was killed.

The two cases are entirely unrelated, but they serve to highlight both the growing incidences of such attacks – more than 6,000 people were injured by dogs in the UK last year – and the increasing number of people owning socalled status-symbol dogs.

The UK government is looking at measures to tackle dangerous dogs, while the Welsh Government is considering compulsory microchipping of all dogs.

Campaigners like Islwyn MP Chris Evans want to see the law changed so dog attacks on private property can lead to prosecutions, compulsory micro-chipping and a list of approved breeders to clamp down on illegal breeding.

While none of these measures would stop attacks like the ones we have reported this week, they will help to make dog owners more responsible and more accountable.

In our view, they are measures that should be adopted as soon as possible.