“XL Bully type dog” kills smaller pet animal as owner “legged it” after the attack

A GoFundMe appeal has been launched by the owner of a 14-year-old Lupine dog after it was attacked by what the owner described as an “XL bully type” dog. The incident occurred on the Bridgewater Canal towpath in Leigh, Greater Manchester, on April 8.

Gemma Krzesinska, 36, says that she was walking her dog Toki when a man walked past struggling to keep his dog, the “XL bully type” in question, under control. After going past the pair, Krzesinska realised Toki’s lead had been ripped from her hand the the man’s dog had Toki’s front leg in his mouth. 

"I think the dog slipped out of its harness after it walked past us and then Toki was the first dog near it so it's just grabbed her,” Krzesinska explained. "I just panicked and the adrenaline kicked in.”

"My biggest worry was that my other dogs would be involved or get any other extra injuries and there was the risk of them biting the man.I just couldn't help her."

One of Gemma's other dogs, Zeus, attempted to grab the "XL Bully type" animal but the dog bit him on the leg before grabbing Toki by the neck and shaking her, she says, further revealing that as soon as the incident happened the male dog owner "legged it".

"He just legged it - he dragged his dog away and just legged it. He clearly knew it was bad and he didn't want to take any responsibility for it. I do two walks every day with all the dogs and a lot of people know me in the area and say hi to the dogs.”

"I think I've only ever seen him once before but it was last year in the summer, so he's clearly not out and about that often. You get used to the same people walking their dogs because you see them on a daily basis. “

"It's not like I even have an idea of where the owner was from or what regular route he takes or anything really."

Krzesinska took Loki to the vet but sadly the animal was put to sleep, which Gemma says was "the most horrendous day" of her life. "I had to carry her home which wasn't easy because she's almost 30kg of dog but thankfully I wasn't too far from home. 

"But they couldn't do anything apart from getting her stable and giving her pain medication but they just assessed the damage that had been done. It was just horrendous, I don't have kids so my dogs are my world.”

"It was the most horrendous day of my life - it was awful."

Gemma has now set up a GoFundMe page, to help pay Toki's vet bills and pay for her cremation. She said: "It's for Toki's vet bills and her cremation and all of that kind of stuff. If she was one of the younger dogs, then they would have been able to fight back but she was dead gentle.” 

“Toki was quite often a dog's first friend after they got over their fear of other dogs and learnt that they aren't scary."