A Plymouth mum was traumatised after her Yorkshire Terrier was mauled to death by a pitbull-type dog (Picture: BPM)

A heartbroken Plymouth mum has been left traumatised and inconsolable after the ‘last little thing’ in her life – her precious dog – was killed in a barbaric Pitbull attack inside a shop in Devonport.

Lynda Warne, who has recently recovered from breast cancer, was shopping with her little Yorkshire terrier and ‘best friend’ Maxy, when the horrific and ‘traumatising’ attack took place.

The 66-year-old, who lives in Devonport, was picking up some wet wipes when a ‘Pitbull-type’ breed launched itself at tiny Maxy, and ‘wouldn’t let go for five minutes’, killing him and leaving ‘blood everywhere’.

Lynda, who described Maxy as the ‘last little thing’ she had left in her life, said Maxy ‘didn’t stand a chance’ and she is now seeking counselling after the shocking incident. She said two female members of staff were so shaken by the incident they had to stop work for the day and go home.

Maxy the terrier was mauled by a pitbull-type dog for around minutes at a shoppign centre in Davenport(Piture: BPM)

Lynda said one police officer described it as the ‘worst attack on an animal’ they had ever seen. Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed they attended after a 999 call and are now investigating.

‘I will just never forget that sight,’ said Lynda, choking back tears. ‘Maxy, my little boy, didn’t stand a chance. This dog just made an aim right for him, he grabbed Maxy and Maxy must’ve died straight away as he didn’t make a noise. His eyes were wide open. The Pitbull-type dog didn’t let go for five minutes. I was shouting and screaming, “He’s not dead, he’s not dead!” but he was.’

Lynda, who has lived in Devonport her whole life and has one son, has been going through radiotherapy treatment for her cancer and now has ‘a scare’ in her left breast too. She said she was ‘already an emotional wreck’ but that Maxy ‘went everywhere’ with her and has helped get her through the tough times in life.

She said: ‘Everybody loved Maxy. I’d take Maxy up to Marlborough Street and his tail would be wagging as people would stand around stroking him. All the shops would let me take him in. He was so well loved up there.

Maxy was beloved in the local area and her death has shocked the community (Picture: BPM)

‘I just can’t get my head around it. And I just can’t forget that image. The shop was closed for two hours afterwards because there was blood everywhere. I couldn’t do anything; I was just screaming, screaming. I keep having flashbacks. I can’t stop breaking down, I feel so ill. I keep thinking he’s here with me; I keep seeing him on the bed, sleeping. But he has been taken away from me.

‘I just want justice.’

Lynda, who got Maxy after the death of her father 12 years ago, said she feels the problem with crime and ‘dangerous’ dogs has got ‘worse in recent years’ in the Granby and Marlborough Street areas of Devonport. She says people ‘feel intimidated’ and described how people ‘on drugs’ spend all day ‘walking around like zombies’ with dogs off their leads.

She said: ‘I’ll never be able to shop in Marlborough Street again. I am too afraid, and I am afraid of the repercussions now. I do not feel safe at all. It’s like Beirut out there.

Lynda says the rise of crime and dangerous dogs in the area has gotten much worse in recent years (Picture: BPM)

‘I was born in Devonport 66 years ago and it was a beautiful place back then, but lately it’s just terrible. It’s just full of drugs, and dangerous dogs. I hope and pray something is done, because next time it will be a child.’

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘Police were called to Marlborough Street in Plymouth at around midday on Saturday 29 July following reports of a dog having killed another dog in the area.

‘Units have attended and reviewed CCTV. Enquiries continue to locate the owner of the dog involved in the attack.’

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Maxy the terrier was attacked by a pitbull-like dog during a trip through Davenport town centre.