A DISTRAUGHT dog owner is warning people to be on their guard around after her four-year-old family pet was savaged to death by a pit bull terrier dog.

Kisha Edgar said the friendly pug, which was called Frank (Frankie) Bruno and had been part of the family since he was a puppy, was being walked by a friend near her mother's home when he was attacked.

Suddenly a black and white dog, which Ms Edgar has seen around the area many times, pounced on the pug and mauled him around the neck. Frankie's jugular was punctured and he died in the incident on Draughton Street, Bradford, on Tuesday lunchtime.

"The attacking dog's owner grabbed Frankie and threw him in a garden and his dog carried on attacking him.

"He told his partner to record it. He even took off Frankie's collar and lead and told my mother - who the dog walker had gone to fetch - that Frankie had slipped his lead and attacked his dog," said Ms Edgar.

"I've called the police but have not heard anything. They said they can't do anything until they locate the dog which attacked mine.

"My worry is that it will attack again and next time it might be a child. It looks like a full pit bull and growls at people and a lot of people said they are frightened to go near it," she said.

"Frankie was the children's dog, really, and my daughter, who is ten, is distraught. She loved her dog and used to dress him up. I'm just glad this didn't happen while she was walking him because this dog could have attacked her.

"Frankie was a real character. He used to bark at cats, but would never have gone for another dog. And even if he had been off the lead he would have been too small to have jumped over a wall into the garden like the man claims happened.

"I've seen the dog being walked with another dog a few times, sometimes they are neither on a lead or muzzled. I don't understand why anyone would do this when there is a chance their dog could attack others."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said it was taking the attack "very seriously" and was making inquiries around the area, such as looking to see if there is CCTV footage anywhere showing the pit bull terrier.

"We have a couple of witness we have yet to interview and a constable is looking into the investigation. We are taking this vicious attack very seriously and can assure the attacked dog's owner that we are actively investigating," he added.