A DOG walker was threatened with a golf club as her Staffordshire bull terrier lay bleeding on the ground after being viciously attacked.

Maryanne Rosse, 45, was training rescue dog Cindy in Chalkwell Park when a husky type dog pounced.

The dog took two lumps out of Cindy's ear and left her with bite marks to her leg, back and face.

When Ms Rose intervened, the husky's owner threatened to set the dog on her.

She said: “Cindy is a rescue dog so I have been taking her to training and obedience classes. We were at the park to do our obedience homework.

“We were minding our own business when this husky type-dog came over and started attacking my dog.

“I was shouting ‘look what’s happening’ because there was blood all over Cindy but the dog owner just laughed and carried on walking when he saw it.

“In the obedience classes we are taught how to separate dogs when they fight. You can’t put your hands between them, you are supposed to lift them up by their collar but neither dog were wearing a collar.

“Cindy is a very gentle dog, she didn’t attack back, she just wanted the other dog off her.

“There was lots of blood and my poor dog had bike marks to her leg, back and face. She had two lumps bitten out of her ear.

“Luckily the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but she had to have her wounds cauterised. We were lucky Cindy is a bigger dog because if she was small, she could have been killed.”

The attack took place on bank holiday Monday, when the park was busy with families.

When the dogs separated Ms Rosse went after the ownerr to show him how badly hurt Cindy was.

She said: “I chased after him and he threatened to let his dog off the lead to attack me. There were children playing in the park and I was trying to tell him to stay away from them with his dog.

“He started swinging a golf club at my head. What kind of person does that and who walks his dog carrying a golf club?”

“There were so many children in the park because it was a bank holiday, it really was not safe so I called the police but the man ran when he heard the sirens.”

Ms Rosse, from Chalkwell, posted details about the incident on Facebook, and it was quickly shared more than 3,500 times.

Police are still trying to find the husky's owner.

Ms Rosse praised their efforts, adding: "The police were great, they did really well and responded straight away. They were there within minutes looking for the man. "

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Police were called at 10.10am on Monday, May 30 with reports a husky-type dog had attacked and injured a Staffordshire bull terrier in Chalkwell Park, Chalkwell Avenue.

“The Staffordshire bull terrier’s owner reported being threatened by a man who was with the first dog. The man was also reported to be carrying a golf club.

“Police carried out a search of the area for the suspect and enquiries are ongoing.”