Dog owners are being urged to keep their pets under control following a series of attacks last week that have left victims admitted to hospital.

In one incident last Friday, an elderly woman was knocked to the ground and mauled by two pitbull terrier-type dogs.

The victim, a senior in her sixties who works as a housekeeper, was walking to her job on Summit View Drive, in Hamilton Parish, at about 8am when she was set on by dogs.

The women suffered bites to her legs and body in the attack, which only ended after a Good Samaritan came to her rescue and fought the dogs off.

They were able to walk to the home of the victim’s employer and were later taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Last night the victim’s employer, who did not wish to be named, said that laws controlling restricted breeds needed to be enforced.

She said: “My housekeeper was traumatised by this attack, which should never have happened.

“She didn’t know anything about it. She was just walking along the street – a public pathway – when she was confronted by these dogs, and knocked to the ground.

“She was bitten all over her legs and body. The man who came to her rescue also suffered injuries to his hands.

“There seems to be a problem with restricted breeds in this neighbourhood. The problem is that nobody does anything about it until somebody get’s attacked – by which time it’s too late.

“Restricted breeds need to be kept in a secure compound. Clearly, in this case, the dogs weren’t.“

The attack is now under investigation by a Government dog warden.

In a separate incident, another elderly woman was taken to the hospital with head injuries after being attacked by a dog in Southampton, also on Friday.

A police spokesman said: “The Bermuda Police Service can confirm that around 12.30pm officers responded to a report dog bite incident involving an elderly female who sustained an injury to the head.

“The incident occurred in the Luke’s Pond Road, Southampton area.

“The victim was transported by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment to her injuries. She was attended to and discharged.”

The spokesman added that the incident had been referred to animal wardens.

Last year police revealed that there had been 384 reports of dog attacks in the previous five years, with the vast majority of offences committed by pitbull terriers.

The statistic led Walter Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs, to impose tough regulations controlling the breed.

At the time, Mr Roban said that the abuse and “weaponising” of the animals had “come out of the shadows” and that he was finalising regulations that would give greater power to dog wardens.

He ruled out reimposing harsh restrictions that were lifted by Parliament in 2018, when the putting down of banned breeds drew widespread condemnation from the public.

Under current legislation, nine breeds of dog are banned from the island. A further 19 breeds are on the restricted list. Restricted dogs may be bred only following receipt of a breeder’s permit.

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