Man left with broken nose after 'dog rage' attack in Horsham

The ‘dog rage’ incident erupted yesterday (September 8) when Steve Martin, 71, was on a regular early evening stroll with his pet in a field near New House Farm in Faygate.

He says he was approached by a bearded grey-haired man in his late 50s or early 60s with four white Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dogs, three of which were off the lead.

"They came at my dog and I shouted at their owner to call them off,” said Steve. “The attack continued and I demanded that the dogs be restrained. At this point the owner confronted me and hit me several times around the head with the retractable lead housing he was holding.”

Steve was pushed to the ground and into a hedge twice while the man tried to snatch his phone. Luckily, a neighbour arrived on the scene and the man disappeared into nearby woods with his dogs.

“This is not what you’d expect from regular local dog walkers around here who are generally very responsible with their pets,” said Steve who has reported the attack to police. “I hadn’t seen this individual or those dogs here before, but upon being told to restrain his out-of-control animals he went into the equivalent of road rage, but with dogs.

"I’m too old to fight back, but the risk is of course is that if I had, the dogs might have come at me.”

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Steve later received treatment at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath for treatment for mild concussion and his broken nose.

Sussex Police have been approached for comment.