One of two dogs believed to be responsible for tearing a neighbour's pet to pieces is to be put down.

The owner of the animal, who does not wish to be named, contacted The Royal Gazette after reading of how a Yorkshire terrier was brutally savaged in the Jennings Road area of Smith's last Tuesday morning. The terrier, 12-year-old Ninja, was eventually destroyed after suffering horrific injuries and two neighbouring dogs were thought to be responsible.

The incident lead to Ninja's owners, George and Cindy Correia, to call for tougher dog laws to stop dangerous animals going out on the loose.

And now the owner of the two suspected dogs has volunteered to have one of the animals destroyed.

Although the neighbour of the dead dog stressed that she was not 100 percent certain that her animals had carried out the attack, she did confirm that one of the animals could have broken through an electric fence barrier surrounding her home.

And, fighting back tears, the woman explained that her family had always been responsible pet owners who took in all their animals from the SPCA.

"We are quite devastated that these charges have been made against us,'' the woman said.

"We consider ourselves to be very good pet owners and we have taken every precaution to ensure that our animals are restrained. We have always had animals, which we get from the SPCA.

"We cannot be 100 percent sure that it was our dogs but we can't be 100 percent sure that it wasn't.

"But we did find out later that the collar on one of our dogs, the Akita, was not working, otherwise it would not have got through the electric fence. When they do they hear a sound and then they get an electric shock. It wasn't until the Police came that we checked it and realised it wasn't working.

"We are now going to have her put down and we're very upset about it -- I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"But I do agree that, if a dog attacks someone that viciously then it should be put down.

"I also agree that there are vicious dogs out there that have to be controlled but you can't say that all mongrels or all Rottweillers are vicious. I'm an advocate of responsible ownership and we have always made every effort to be responsible.''