The owner of a dog who was killed after a horrific mauling on a popular north Watford footpath has called for owners to keep their dogs on a lead.

Two weeks ago Heather Parkes lost ten-year-old "gentle lady" Smokey, an unusual deerhound/greyhound cross, after an uncontrolled bullmastiff-type dog crushed her muzzle in an unprovoked attack.

Mrs Parkes, 65, of Norfolk Avenue, said people are scared to walk their pets along the trail in the wooded area off Bushey Mill Lane, known locally as Mundon Oak.

She said: "Two weeks have been awful without Smokey and I’ll never get over the attack on her as it’s was so horrific and is still very vivid.

"Many people are now scared to walk where it happened but please don’t be. These things happen everywhere. I went back after a couple of days.

"All dog owners please put your dogs on a lead when you see other dogs approaching on a lead, unless you know each other. An easy and safe courtesy."

Heather added that her heart had been touched by well wishes who had heard what happened to Smokey.

She said: "I want to say a huge thank you to all you kind folks who have contacted us to say how sorry you are about Smokey’s death and we really appreciate it.

"Some of you we have as friends, others are people we chat to occasionally with their dogs and some people have just seen us out and about with Smokey and our two greyhounds.

"It has touched our hearts to think people care enough to approach us with their kind wishes and we don’t even know them."