A pair of German shepherds allegedly killed two small dogs in an incident in Smith’s on Monday before attacking a woman and her dog near by.

Fabian Minors, the owner of Bermuda Pet Sitters, said that he understood the initial attack took place sometime between 11am and 11.15am on the Railway Trail near Penhurst Park.

He said that a friend, Beverly Burton, had come to the aid of a woman who had been walking three small dogs on the trail.

While the woman was holding one small dog, two small Pomeranians were dead on the ground having been attacked by a pair of German shepherds.

Mr Minors said: “Beverly ran to her because she was crying and saw the dogs and stood in front of the owner and protected her and the dog, while the other two dogs lay lifeless on the ground next to them.

“The dogs then ran east and across the bridge over Store Hill. There was a lady pushing a stroller with her baby. Beverly shouted to her and she stood still as the dogs ran past her.”

Mr Minors said that the dogs attacked another woman who was walking her dog on the trail a short time later, but two people came to their aid.

He said: “They are OK. The dog that was attacked was of a similar size, so it could defend itself better than the little Pomeranians.”

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said that the matter was reported to the animal wardens at about 11.20am that day and the dogs were subsequently found and caught.

The spokesman added: “The two dogs were collected at approximately 12pm. The two dogs are now at the government kennel while this investigation is under way.”

Mr Minors said that owners of more dangerous dog breeds need to do their part to prevent incidents such as the one on Monday.

He said: “A powerful dog can cause serious injury, especially when two or more dogs together form a pack mentality.

“When they get into a rage, it’s nearly impossible to stop it. This is why we have restricted breeds.”

Mr Minors said he had noticed a rise in the number of loose dogs on the island and said that amendments to the island’s dog laws to protect both the public and the dogs themselves.

He said: “There’s a great dog community in Bermuda, but unfortunately there are also some not great dog owners.

“Our laws need to be improved. We have requirements for when you are 16 years old and you want to ride a bike and different requirements to ride a car or a truck.

“If you want to have certain breeds, you should have a training course.”