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A blind man who desperately clung to his trusted guide dog as it was attacked says going out since has been like "walking on eggshells".
Rob Daniels was walking his Labrador cross retriever, Bob, near his home in Twydall when an escaped pet, believed to be a French bulldog, pounced on them.
Helpless to see what was happening, Mr Daniels gripped on to his dog's harness in a bid to protect him.
But the loose animal wouldn't leave them alone during the harrowing ordeal.
The 62-year-old said: "I could hear yelping which I knew was Bob as well as barking and growling and I kept trying to shoo it away but it kept coming back. It must have been going on for about six minutes.
"They were rolling on the floor. You are supposed to let go in situations like this but I couldn't.
"He is my loyal friend. Man's best friend. He is my independence."
"They were rolling on the floor. You are supposed to let go in situations like this but I couldn't..."
The attack happened in Hawthorne Avenue at about midday last Thursday.
Eventually, a passing motorist stopped and came to their aid.
The shaken former gym instructor was helped back to his home in Elizabeth Court by a neighbour.
Before he left the scene, he heard a resident across the road say "sorry mate".
Another neighbour said it was not the first time the dog had got out of the front garden of its home.
Rob has been registered as blind since 1989 after a gradual retinal disorder deteriorated.
He can see some objects in light but not people.
He goes out with Bob every day who takes him to pensioners' homes as a therapy dog.
Although neither of them were hurt, the incident has shaken him up.
The following day, he again went out with Bob but said it was "like walking on eggshells".
He has not yet had the courage to go back along Hawthorne Avenue.
His wife, Sharon, 59, said: "He was shocked but he is not going to let this get him down.
"It was horrendous but it could have been a lot worse. What if it had been a young mum with a buggy?
"I want to find out who the owner is and our message is they should be more responsible for their animals.
"We would also like to thank those who helped."
An investigation in April found there is an alarming number of dogs attacking sheep in Kent.
A swan was left injured after an attack by a dog in a park in Sheerness in front of horrified witnesses earlier this year.
Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.
