A DOG owner has made an urgent plea for pets to be restrained on leads after seeing his ‘fluffy’ puppy shaken to death by an unleashed Staffordshire bull terrier.

Roger Ford, of Cartwright Close, Rainford, wants to warn others after he looked on as 10-month-old Ollie was attacked in Rainford Linear Park last Friday evening.

He had been walking Ollie and 12-month-old Charlie, both black Pomeranians, at around 7.30pm when his dogs were approached by the white and brown dog running loose.

He said: “Both my dogs were on their leads, but there was a guy with a Staffordshire, it came across to sniff ours and ripped Ollie off the lead and shook him to death.

“I want to warn people these dogs are dangerous and should be under control all the time. I don’t want anyone else to go through it. I’m devastated.“

The 43-year-old joiner added that the other owner said his pet must have thought Ollie, who weighed two and half kilos, was a rabbit.

The joiner said: “I was mortified by his attitude. He said ‘it’s not just your dog who’s died I’m going to have to have mine destroyed.’

“He was just so casual as if it happened every day. When he got my dog in his jaws the owner had to physically punch the dog a few times.”

As he rushed home with the puppy in his arms, the grisly sight was seen by youngsters in the park.

Roger added: “Ollie was like a playmate for my other dog. I have only had him since Christmas. He was a big ball of fluff.”

“I don’t take mine off the lead when we are out, not everyone likes dogs.”

A police spokesman said an investigation into the incident was ongoing.

He added it was an offence for any dog owner to allow a dog to be dangerous or out of control in a public place and advise owners to always keep their pet on a lead in public places.