A tourist called yesterday for a restricted-breed dog that savaged her to be put down.

Abigail Alldis was bitten several times on her right arm and needed stitches to her wounds.

She also suffered bruised ribs and cuts and abrasions to her leg and ankle as she climbed over a balcony to escape the attack, which happened on the grounds of the house she was staying in.

Ms Alldis, from England, told The Royal Gazette: “The dog had been wandering around for about an hour.

“It came over to have a sniff and hadn’t shown any signs of being aggressive.

“There were cars going past on the road near by and I didn’t want it running out.

“I reached out to see if it had a name on the collar and it attacked me. It wasn’t a snap; it went into full attack mode.

“I scrambled up some steps to try to escape it and fell over the balcony, which was about four feet high.

“Then it came for me again and I managed to get back up inside the balcony. I did nothing to provoke it. It ran off and we called the dog warden.

“I believe the dog needs to be put down. It was a vicious attack and it went for me twice.”

Ms Alldis, a former sub-editor at The Royal Gazette, said that the dog attacked her at a house on Bostock Hill East in Paget last Saturday.

Witnesses to the attack said that the dog was a Belgian malinois, a restricted breed.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the dog was reported as a German shepherd, also a restricted breed.

But Ms Alldis, 42, said a witness had only said the dog looked similar to a German shepherd.

The department took the animal into custody while the attack was investigated.

Ms Alldis said: “I travelled back to the country that I love to spend time in the ocean — it is a shame that I now have to spend my time convalescing.”

She was treated at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after the attack.

She needed 11 stitches to her wounds, had X-rays taken of her ribs and was given a course of antibiotics and painkillers.

Her medical costs amount to more than $800, but the dog warden told her that the owners had agreed to pay her medical expenses.

The department spokeswoman said: “At this point in time, we will not speculate on the final disposition of the case, as the probe into this matter continues.

“The wardens will be guided by multiple factors, including the wishes of the victim, the history of offences by this animal or by the owner, of which there were none on record, and the ability of the owners to securely keep the animal in the future.”

She added: “These types of cases tend not to make their way inside of a courtroom when all parties work together to satisfactorily resolve matters arising from the incident.”

Ms Alldis said that her request to the dog warden to get a copy of the incident report was turned down.

She added: “I need to see it to make sure the correct information has been recorded. If it needs to be taken to court, there needs to be a proper record of it.”

The spokeswoman for the department said the incident was a warning to other dog owners.

She added: “The department reminds all dog owners to keep their dogs secure, for the safety of the public and the wellbeing of the animal.

“Owners of restricted breeds, which includes German shepherds, pitbulls, and others, must possess either a secure enclosure, or fenced yard or portion of the yard, even if they intend to primarily keep the animal indoors.

"The department also reminds all dog owners that all dogs must be licensed.“

The spokeswoman said that regulations had been drawn up to allow ticketing for some dog offences.

She added: “Thus enforcement will become easy and more efficient.”

She told dog owners to make sure their animals were kept in conditions in line with legislation.