A 75-year-old man who was attacked by two rottweilers more than a year before a two-year-old girl was seriously injured by the same dogs said he blames the police for not acting sooner.
Richard Orr was bitten and his dog, Wilson, had to be put down after they were attacked in Bedfords Park in September 2024.
The pensioner and his wife said they spent 15 months “fighting” to get the police to take action, but they were left feeling that officers were disinterested.
“Those dogs savaged me and ripped my puppy to pieces. All I wanted was for the police to put muzzles on those dogs but they told me they couldn’t do it. Why not? They’re the police. They have the powers,” Richard said.
“I told one of the officers if those dogs bite another person, or a little boy or girl, I will blame you personally.”
On February 2 this year Richard’s fears became reality when the same dogs attacked a two-year-old girl in Raphael Park.
The mum of the girl said they “threw her around like a doll”, leaving her hospitalised with injuries described as potentially life-changing.
A man has now pleaded guilty to three charges of allowing dogs to be dangerously out of control – two of the charges relate to the attack on the child while the third charge relates to the attack on Richard.
Nigel Gray, 63, of Heather Way in Romford, will be sentenced at a later date.
Richard said: “This should never have happened to that little girl. You don’t have to be clairvoyant to see what was going to happen.
“If the police had just taken preventative measures that poor little girl would never have been injured.
“The police didn’t take it seriously. Now they’re taking it damn well seriously but it’s too little too late.”
Remembering the attack, Richard said they were in the bluebell forest of Bedfords Park when the two rottweilers ran up to them.
“I knew they weren’t friendly and I dived on top of my dog to protect him, but one bit my hand and as I pulled away they got Wilson by the neck and ripped him apart,” Richard said.
“I was on the floor punching this dog in the face. Bear in mind I’m 75-year-old, if I had a pacemaker or anything like that, I could have died.”
Wilson, a small dachshund and cocker spaniel cross, suffered neurological problems as a result of the injuries he sustained in the attack.
“He was in pain all of the time so we had to put him down. He died screaming in pain at 2am,” Richard said.
The Met Police has not responded to a request for comment.
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