THE owner of a Yorkshire terrier which was fatally mauled in her garden said she feels ‘numb’ following the attack and is calling for tougher punishments for owners of dangerous dogs.

Sarah Moore thought her eight-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Fijit, would be safe in her garden on Dove Hill in Royston while she was working from home last Tuesday.

She said she was just metres away from her treasured pup when the attack took place after two huskies - from a neighbouring home - reportedly broke the fence that surrounded Sarah’s garden.

“I heard my son shout that the dogs were attacking her and I ran from my desk to the garden,” said Sarah, 47. “By the time I had run the few metres, Fijit was dead and the dogs just dropped her body at my feet.

“It was horrific - she was only about 14lbs so she never stood a chance against two big dogs.

“I remember having to fight the huskies off once I went to pick her up because they wanted to get at her again.

“It was the worst day of my life.

“They were flinging Fijit around like she was a toy and not a living, breathing animal.”

Sarah said that the huskies had got into the garden by breaking some wood that was blocking a hole in the fence.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she added. “We put the wood there to stop Fijit getting out because two of the panels had been broken.

“She was always out in the garden and we liked to keep her away from other dogs because she was nervous around them.

“We always took care to make sure she was safe but the irony of it is that she was killed at home.”

Sarah now wants more to be done to prosecute dog owners whose dogs are proven to be dangerous.

“I feel that our concerns were just swept under the rug. I understand that there’s more serious crimes but my dog was killed and it seems like the owners have got off scot-free.

“There’s a big hole left in our family from Fijit’s death,” Sarah continued. “I don’t think I will ever get another dog because I will be worried about what will happen to it in the future.

“Fijit should have been safe at home, she wasn’t running around on the street by herself, she was in the garden.

“In my opinion, people shouldn’t have dogs if they can’t control them - I hope no one has to go through what we have because it’s not right and it shouldn’t have happened.”

Fijit’s not the first small dog to have been attacked by huskies - in January, a 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier was attacked in the town centre and later died from its injuries.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Police were called to Dove Hill at 6pm on May 18 following reports that a dog had been attacked by two other dogs.

“On arrival officers found that the dog that had been attacked had sadly died as a result of its injuries.

“The two dogs were seized by officers and enquiries are continuing at this time.”