Mother-of-five Tracey Barnett, of Saumarez Ponds, watched in horror as the two American pit-bull stafford dogs from a neighbouring property entered her yard on Thursday afternoon.

They jumped over the fence of her dog-run, where her two miniature fox terriers, Mickey and Rosie, were playing when the dogs attacked.

“Mickey gave a few yaps at the dogs, which set upon him immediately, grabbing him by the neck and shaking him with such force his collar was broken,” Ms Barnett said. 

She watched as the dogs then disembowelled Mickey. 

She grabbed her 20-month-old twins, Blake and Tyler, and took them inside until the dogs left.

She said Rosie had escaped the dogs by hiding in the kennel. She sat alongside Mickey until Ms Barnett’s husband, Mark, returned home. 

“We feel like prisoners in our own home,” Ms Barnett said.  That evening she contacted Uralla Shire Council about the attack and was informed the Council only had a part-time ranger, who worked on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Armidale Dumaresq Council used to send rangers to Uralla, but the practice was stopped last June after staff cut-backs in Armidale.

Ms Barnett said she was concerned the dogs would get out again and attack her three elder children, who walk down the road to catch the school bus. 

Uralla Shire Council’s director of engineering services, who also manages the rangers, Robert Bell said because Ms Barnett was so concerned for her children he waited by the bus stop to ensure the dogs were not around when the children got off the bus on Friday afternoon.  

Mr Bell said he had received prior verbal complaints about the two dogs in question and Council was taking the situation seriously because of the potential risk the dogs pose to Ms Barnett’s children and others in the area. 

“If it had been a child rather than a dog this would have been a very different discussion,” Mr Bell said. 

However, he said the situation was “very traumatic” for Ms Barnett and her family, as well as other pet owners or farmers who have their livestock harassed by wandering dogs. 

The ranger will now conduct interviews with Ms Barnett and the dogs’ owner, followed by Council drafting an order, which could see the dogs declared as dangerous.