A walk ended in horror when a West Highland terrier was attacked by dogs.

Eight-year-old Megan, who normally lives in Swanley with her owner Roger Gilby, 69, had been staying in Gravesend with Roger’s son Peter.

The attack took place on Friday and left Megan with bite marks and tears to her skin, which needed treatment.

Mr Gilby, 38, said his partner was walking Megan in the grounds of Gravesend Rugby Club, in Donald Biggs Drive, when she was attacked by four dogs, believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers or cross breeds with a dominant Staff mix.

The dogs were off the lead.

He said: “Megan is the most gentle little dog you could ever come across and my blind father’s trusted companion.

“My partner had to physically cover Megan with her body to try to stop this sustained attack.”

She asked the man for his details but he left with his dogs, leaving her to walk half a mile to a vet, covered in blood.

The images were posted on Facebook in an attempt to try to trace the owner of the dogs. It has been shared more than 3,000 times since Friday.

Mr Gilby continued: “Megan is lucky to be alive and my partner is lucky to be uninjured.

“We spoke to the police and this will not be treated as a crime. A civil case is all I can hope for.

“If it was a mother with a small child I dread to think what could have happened.”

The dogs were brown and fairly young. The owner is described as white, bald, heavy set, wearing a blue polo with white trim and jeans.