Owner left traumatised after her tiny dog is savaged to death

Chloe, a 12-year-old Chihuahua dog, which was killed by other dogs that attacked her in Camborne(Image: Submitted)

A tiny Chihuahua has died after being savagely attacked by other dogs in Cornwall - leaving her owner "heartbroken".

Beloved pet Chloe was bitten and shaken by two other dogs, leaving her with a fractured spine, during the incident in Camborne yesterday (Sunday, April 5).

Her owner, Esta Lippiatt, has reported the vicious attack to the police and wants them to take action against the owner of dogs she said were dangerously out of control.

She also wants the owner of the dogs that attacked her pet to pay the £800 vets charged her for pain relief and then to put down and cremate Chloe.

Today, Esta told CornwallLive how she was herself terrified during the incident, which happened at about 4pm on Easter Sunday.

She said: "It was horrific, traumatising. I was terrified and Chloe was terrified. I can't get the images out of my head.

"Now I want to raise awareness so it doesn't happen to anyone else."

Esta, 49, and her husband Kevin Morgan were walking 12-year-old Chloe, who weighs just 2.8kg, and their other dog Kylo, a larger two-year-old Romanian rescue dog, along the Red River trail, near Duchy College, when both dogs were set upon by about six others.

"We had just started our walk when we heard barking and six dogs started chasing both our dogs," said Esta.

"I bent down to pick Chloe up but two dogs grabbed her and started shaking her. My husband managed to get her out of the dogs' mouths but was bitten and covered in blood."

Esta said a white Jack Russel and a whippet or lurcher-type dog were responsible. She couldn't identify the other dogs that were chasing Kylo, but he was bigger and stronger and escaped.

"It was a blur, dogs everywhere, all attacking at the same time," she said. "I can't remember what the other dogs were, but they were barking and running after Kylo, but he got away.

"Chloe was too small. She's dinky, the tiniest dog I have ever seen - but she had the biggest personality.

Esta said she reported the incident to the police who said they would be in touch. They have not yet been contacted back by officers.

She said the dogs that attacked Chloe were with two men, one middle aged and the other younger.

She said: "They shouted for them to get off but were ineffective with their commands. The dogs were off leads, I couldn't see collars."

Esta said the older man apologised to her and her husband and left his telephone number, which they have passed to police.

She has since tried the number but says she has been blocked. She and Kevin believe they have identified the man on social media.

"I want him to pay the bill, it was a lot of money," she said. "And they couldn't control their dogs and I don't want to see that happen to anyone else."

And she added: "Kylo was unhurt but is upset. He has been looking for Chloe already. It is so sad."