A PORTHMADOG woman who watched in horror as a dog ‘ripped the skin’ off her daughter’s horse is calling for dog owners to take more responsibility for their pets.

Denise Meldrum was riding her coloured Arab Missy with her daughter Mandy Dyson, who was on her horse Poppy, a Section D cross thoroughbred, when the horrific attack happened at Black Rock Sands earlier this month.

The former horse trainer, who lives at Penrhyn Farm in Morfa Bychan, said her and her daughter first spotted the Doberman when it came out of the sand dunes hurtling towards them “completely out of control”.

She said: “As a regular rider on the beach I’ve had several incidents with dogs but this was completely different, this animal was in full-blown attack.

“We stopped in front of the dog and I pointed and shouted to it to go away but it just went straight for Mandy’s horse.

“The dog just kept biting the back end of Poppy and she was just kicking out and leaping around everywhere.

“My daughter tried to get to the sea to get the dog away but it wouldn’t work as the dog just kept tearing pieces off Poppy and at this point Mandy got off as there was a real danger she was about to be thrown off.”

As Mandy leaped off her horse she was pushed onto the floor as the horse was trying to escape the dog.

Denise added: “Mandy was shouting that she couldn’t take it anymore and was screaming for help – it was horrible for me to see my daughter like that.”

See the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News