A grandmother suffered cuts and bruises trying to rescue her five-month-old puppy from the jaws of “two big dogs with thick heads”.

Heather Wood was walking Hezzey, a working cocker spaniel, off the lead near Deal seafront when two larger dogs “ran at him and grabbed him”.

In a bid to free her pet, the College Road resident, 75, was bitten on the hand and has puncture wounds from where she tried to push them away.

While Hezzey was lucky to escape with only minor injuries, Mrs Wood says the “terrifying” ordeal has had a huge impact on them both.

The incident happened at about 3.30pm on Tuesday, December 10 on a footpath which runs across Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club.

“Hezzey is such a friendly dog, he went towards them and then they just ran at him and grabbed him,” Mrs Wood explained.

“He came howling back to me so I tried to push the dogs away but they wouldn't go. There was one at his neck and one at his legs.

“I was on the ground trying to protect him and I was screaming at this man to come and get his dogs and he just stood there.

“He did not move and didn't call his dogs away, I was getting frantic by this point.”

Mrs Wood was helped by a couple walking nearby who saw the incident, which happened close to the Sandown Castle site.

She added: “A man came running back to help and he got the dogs off and shooed them back to the owner.

“He then came back to help me and the dogs came and had another go at my pup.

“It was terrifying, I was laying there holding Hezzey and all I could see were these great big open mouths clinging to him.

“They weren’t little and they had such powerful mouths and that was what's so scary.”

Mrs Wood says she is unsure what breed the dogs were, but described them as “big with thick heads”.

Hezzey was taken to the vets where he was given a steroid injection, antibiotics and pain relief.

Mrs Wood says the harness her pet was wearing protected him from more serious injury.

“He wasn’t actually badly hurt but he couldn't put his foot to the ground at one point so he was bashed and bruised,” she said.

“My poor dog was so traumatised and so was I. What if it had been two young kids?”

The incident has been reported to police who have confirmed they are investigating.

Anyone who witnessed what happened or has information should call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference 46/209484/24.