A MUM who was mauled by a bull terrier cross as she exercised in a back garden says it was lucky her friend’s baby was not killed by the crazed dog.

Natasha Way needed hospital treatment for leg wounds following the attack, which happened as she exercised on her friend’s trampoline.

She was alone while her friend tended to her one-year-old baby inside the Poole house.

But, according to the mum-of-two, it is not unusual for the toddler to be in the garden.

“I didn’t see it coming,” said Natasha, from Oakdale, Poole. “It jumped over from the neighbour’s garden and just attacked me.

“The pain was excruciating, it was just unreal. I was so scared because I didn’t think it was going to stop biting me.

“It was biting my left calf and right thigh and only let go when I was able to grab its collar and hold it away from me.

“If this dog had attacked the baby, I doubt it would have survived.”

The Staffordshire bull terrier/Labrador cross has since been put down with the owner’s permission, says Natasha.

However, Natasha, aged 34, believes the dog had bitten someone before but this went unreported to the authorities.

“So what I am urging people to do now is report any dog attack, no matter how big or small,” she said.

“You may not think it is that significant until a child is attacked.”

The drama unfolded at a house in Wimborne Road last week.

Natasha needed several stitches to her legs and has been told she’ll probably be permanently scarred.

“After I pulled the dog away from me and it realised it wasn’t able to continue biting, it just jumped back over the fence and ran off.

“The whole thing must have only lasted a couple of minutes but it felt much longer. It was frightening.”