Owner left ‘traumatised’ after vicious German shepherd bursts into home and attacks cockapoo
Police are investigating the incident
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Louise Thomas
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A dog owner has been left “traumatised” following a vicious attack by a German shepherd that burst into her home and left her one-year-old cockapoo needing round-the-clock care.
Katie Marshall, a 25-year-old nursery assistant from Royston in Hertfordshire, had just opened her door to set off for an evening walk when the German shepherd ran across her threshold and grabbed her cockapoo Honey with its teeth.
After several minutes of a terrifying “tug of war” with the dog, while Katie was holding Honey’s lead, her beloved cockapoo was left needing stitches, surgery and treatment for necrotic, blackened skin.
With insurance covering only £2,000 of the estimated £8,000 in veterinary bills, Katie and her partner, 31-year-old garden maintenance manager Harry Hudson, said they are under immense stress as they manage Honey’s care.
Within a few days of the incident, Katie lost half a stone in weight and is now living in constant fear for the safety of her and Harry’s two young children, Belle, three, and Riley, one – worrying they too could be at risk if the front door is opened.
The incident, which is now being investigated by Hertfordshire Police, also happened just a week before the family’s planned holiday to Alicante – which “devastated” Katie had to cancel to focus on Honey’s care.
Katie told PA Real Life: “It’s just been so much – every time I close my eyes I’m taken back to that moment.
“I’m suffering with PTSD – I can’t get over it.
“It made me very ill the first four days.
“The first week it happened, we were walking from my front door to my car, which is literally just a few steps to take Honey to the vet, and my daughter was actually scared to leave the front door to get to the car because she was so frightened.”
On September 16 at around 6:45pm, Katie got Honey ready for an evening walk by putting her lead on.
But, as she opened the front door, a German shepherd suddenly appeared and began attacking her dog.
“The German shepherd just ran straight at her and pulled her out of the house, so he actually crossed over my threshold and took her from the house,” Katie explained.
“He just didn’t let go.
“He just had hold of her on one end, her back end, and I obviously had hold of her still in the lead, and it was almost like tug of war.
“She was in his mouth and she was attached to me with a lead.”
After several minutes, Katie managed to pull Honey away from the German shepherd, but Honey was left in “complete shock”.
Straight after the attack, Katie noticed two wounds on Honey’s rear from the German shepherd’s teeth, so she rushed Honey to the Queen Mother Hospital for Small Animals in Hatfield, as her local vet was closed.
The veterinary team cleaned Honey up and bandaged her wounds, costing Katie £600.
The following day, at her local vet, Honey underwent surgery because she was experiencing necrosis – meaning her body tissue was beginning to die and appeared black.
The vet stitched her wounds up and removed all the dead skin, costing around £700, and prescribed a course of antibiotics.
Four days later, Honey was admitted back to the Queen Mother Hospital for Small Animals, where she stayed for eight days at approximately £150 per night.
During this time, Honey saw a soft tissue specialist, who cleaned her skin again, and they are now uncertain whether she may need a skin graft in the future.
Katie has yet to receive the full bill from the Queen Mother Hospital for Small Animals, as ongoing treatment is still required, but she expects the total costs to reach around £8,000.
Fortunately, Katie has pet insurance, which will cover £2,000 of this expense.
The entire ordeal has been “very stressful” for Katie and her family, and she worries that her children may develop a fear of large dogs as a result of the incident.
She said: “I just feel so traumatised – even when Honey is at home, it makes me think she’s at risk as soon as the front door opens.
“And now I’m worried about whether my children are at risk – like, what if the door opens and the dog grabs them?
“It could have been a day where I was taking my daughter for a walk with me and Honey, and she could have been holding the lead.”
Katie also believes that Honey has become “a lot more wary” since the incident – so, she plans to socialise her with other dogs once she has recovered to help alleviate any trauma.
She reported the incident to Hertfordshire Police on September 18 – the force has confirmed that it is being investigated and inquiries are ongoing.
On top of this, the family had planned a holiday to Alicante, scheduled to fly out on September 23, just one week after the incident.
Katie decided to cancel the five-day trip to care for Honey and has yet to check whether she can recover any money from the cancellation – Katie had planned to stay in her family’s holiday home free of charge, and spent around £400 on flights.
She is also uncertain when she will return to work because of her trauma – she was at home for two weeks on annual leave, but is currently on her fourth day of unpaid leave.
“I just feel so traumatised, and Honey now needs 24-hour care,” Katie explained.
“We’re going to have to take more time off, which will mean a loss of earnings for us, so it’s very stressful.”