Elderly Adelaide woman’s foot nearly torn off after mauling by neighbour’s ‘out of control’ Staffie cross dog as she recovers from 18 hours of surgery

An elderly woman is recovering in hospital after she was mauled by an ‘out of control’ dog that ‘clung’ to her leg and almost grabbed her foot.

Paramedics were called to Novar Gardens in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs by David Thackar about 1.30pm on Wednesday after he managed to free his wife Patricia, 78, from the dog, believed to be a Staffie cross.

Mr Thacker said the dog had escaped from a neighbour’s garden and was heading towards his wife who happened to be outside.

“It just flew across the garden bed and latched onto Pat’s foot,” Mr Thacker told 7 News.

He said the dog then tried to drag her away and he noticed the extent of her injury as he pulled her free.

‘I’ve never seen anything like that, you could almost see through her foot… He just started pulling out and pulling and pulling her with his jaws clamped over her toes.

Patricia Thacker, 78, nearly lost her foot in the dog attack and is recovering in hospital

Mr Thacker said he ‘dragged’ his wife through the door and then closed it ‘just in case the animal came back’.

Ms Thacker was treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where she underwent a total of 18 hours of surgery to repair the damage to her foot.

She remains in a stable condition in hospital and Mr Thacker says she will need months of recovery and rehabilitation.

The dog has been seized by West Torrens Council animal control officers who are investigating whether it is safe to release.