A heavily-pregnant woman was savagely attacked by a shop guard dog, leaving her with severe arm injuries that kept her in hospital for 10 days.

Victim Karen Guest was unable to lift her new baby because of her injuries. She was nine months pregnant when attacked by a rottweiler as she walked her Yorkshire terrier.

The dog’s carer Ramzan Hussain was given a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Ms Guest was attacked when she left her home on Applewood Grove, Cradley Heath, to walk her dog, called Little Dude.

Hussain’s father’s rottweiler, which had escaped from a nearby Costcutter store, grabbed the small pet and “shook it like a rag doll” before Ms Guest managed to release it from the larger dog’s grip.

Mr Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said the dog then turned on the mum-to-be, sinking its teeth into her arm.

Ms Guest underwent three operations at Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital following the attack in August. She still suffers numbness in parts of her arm.

Mr Phillips said: “The operations, left her unable to hug or carry her first son in the weeks after his birth.”

Little Dude suffered a broken leg, cuts and scratches in the attack and needed veterinary treatment costing £1,047.

Hussain, aged 29, of William Road, Moseley, was looking after the Costcutter store for his father who was in Pakistan.

Miss Wendy Miller, defending, said he was unaware the dog, which has since been destroyed, had escaped from an enclosed back yard. Hussain pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog that caused injury while out of control.

He was also ordered to pay £2,000 of compensation, recompense Ms Guest for her veterinary fees and complete 220 hours of unpaid workas well as being banned from having custody of a dog for the next 10 years.