A schnauzer poodle cross called Cosmo needed to have his leg amputated after he was viciously mauled by a bull terrier.
Nick Rose, 32, was walking Cosmo and another dog near the Newcastle Velodrome on April 20, when a white bull terrier suddenly charged and latched onto Cosmo.
‘I was in total shock to see this dog running towards us like that, stopping and then just lunging,’ Mr Rose told Daily Mail Australia.
A schnauzer poodle cross called Cosmo (pictured) needed to have his leg amputated after he was viciously mauled by a bull terrier
Following the savage attack, Cosmo (pictured) was rushed to an emergency vet, where he underwent treatment to save his leg, but in the end, it needed to be amputated
He said the attack wasn’t about dominance as the comparatively huge dog locked onto Cosmo’s leg and wouldn’t let go – thrashing him around like a rag doll.
‘The bull terrier latched on and started to twist and turn its head,’ Mr Rose said.
He recalled how terrifying it was to witness what was happening to Cosmo, and at one point he heard the dog’s leg snap and twist around at the weirdest angles.
‘I heard the cracks as its (the bull terrier’s) teeth were chipping the bones and everything,’ he said.
Desperate to free Cosmo from the other dog’s grasp, Mr Rose kicked, punched and screamed at the bull terrier, but try as he might, he couldn’t separate the animals.
He said it felt like the longest time had passed before help eventually came in the form of a horse trainer called Jason, who was passing by the field.
‘Jason had the lead rope from some horses he’d just taken to the stables nearby, which he clipped onto the bull terrier’s harness and started pulling,’ Mr Rose said.
As Jason pulled the lead, the bull terrier started to let go of his grasp, and when he finally did, Jason led him around the field in a circle to keep him away from Cosmo.
Nick Rose, 32 (pictured), was walking Cosmo and another dog near the Newcastle Velodrome on April 20, when a white bull terrier suddenly charged and latched onto Cosmo
Cosmo (pictured) is now trying to get used to walking on three legs, but as Mr Rose explained, he still isn’t out of the woods in the slightest
‘If it hadn’t been for Jason, Cosmo would have died,’ Mr Rose said.
When the dog’s owner eventually turned up and saw Cosmo’s leg wound, he simply said ‘aw, mate’ before putting his lead on the animal and walking off.
Mr Rose said he doesn’t know who the dog owner is and hasn’t had contact with him since the ordeal – although he did manage to take a photo of him as he was leaving.
He said rangers are investigating the matter and a number of people have come forward to say they have seen the man around the streets of Hamilton South.
Following the savage attack, Cosmo was rushed to an emergency vet, where he underwent treatment to save his leg, but in the end, it needed to be amputated.
Mr Rose (left) said Cosmo will likely need more costly surgeries, so he has created a gofundme page to help cover the costs, which are estimated at about $15,000
Mr Rose said he doesn’t know who the dog owner is and hasn’t had contact with him since the ordeal – although he did manage to take a photo of him as he was leaving
Cosmo is now trying to get used to walking on three legs, but as Mr Rose explained, he still isn’t out of the woods in the slightest.
‘The amount of damage and dead tissue has prevented blood flow to the area so, even after amputation, the whole thing (the wound) is breaking down,’ he said.
Mr Rose said Cosmo will likely need more costly surgeries, so he has created a gofundme page to help cover the costs, which are estimated at about $15,000.
‘I’ve borrowed from family and friends, sold off what I can and maxed Vetpay for almost everything to date but there’s still money owing on vet bills,’ he wrote.
Mr Rose, who describes Cosmo as his first born child, said while he doesn’t like having to ask for help, the idea of putting him is just devastating.
‘Help me get this guy back on his feet and give him at least another 5 years of Hawaiian shirts, stolen cheese and cuddles,’ he wrote.