The owner of Ralph, the dog mauled on the Esplanade on Wednesday, has praised members of the public for their "life saving" bravery and hopes her pet will make a full recovery.

Ralph, a five-month-old miniature dachshund, was rushed to the vets after being attacked by a larger dog described as a "Staffie" (Staffordshire bull terrier) opposite Coffi Co.

Ralph suffered a punctured ear, lacerated cheek and "lots of haemorrhaging in the right ear canal". Park Vets, who performed surgery on Ralph, say he is "very lucky to be with us".

Witnesses say the "unprovoked" attack lasted "at least three minutes", with the aggressor clamping down on Ralph, dragging him into the road and shaking him "viciously".

Many have commented on the "traumatic" nature of the attack, which ended after members of the public intervened, hitting the Staffie with a broom and pouring wine in its eyes.

One brave Penarthian was able to pull Ralph from the dog's jaws after another hit it in the testicles.

Ralph's owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has given her account of the attack to Nub News. Other witnesses have corroborated her version of events.

She and her five-year-old daughter were walking Ralph along the Esplanade when the attack began at roughly 4:30pm.

"I don't know where it came from, but this Staffie was being dragged by the walker who had no control and just went for Ralph's neck," she said.

"Luckily, Ralph moved backwards slightly so the Staffie grabbed Ralph's ear and dragged him into the road.

"Then it was just horrific. It was shaking Ralph like a rag doll and banging him against the ground. This Staffie wanted to kill. The screams were horrific and people started running towards the scene. It was really traumatic.

"I just can't forget those screams - Ralph's yelps and whimpers. Looking at him I thought he was dead because he went completely limp. Apparently that's a defence mechanism."

She praises the bravery of those who intervened, particularly the woman who "put herself at risk" to rescue Ralph from the dog's jaws.

"She held Ralph and went with the motion of the dog's thrashing to stop Ralph from getting shaken anymore and then pulled Ralph away when she got the chance. It was so, so brave.

"Without her and others who helped, I'm sure he would have died. They have really restored my faith in humanity."

The stranger who rescued Ralph also wishes to remain anonymous. She told Nub News:

"I don't see myself as a hero. So many people would have done what I did. I just felt I had to hold Ralph as close to me as possible to stop him getting tossed around and then eventually managed to get him out."

"Let's be clear, this was not a dog fight - this was an awful attack. This dog was totally vicious, snarling and foaming at the mouth. It was horrible.

"About 100 people gathered around on the promenade and watched from the balconies and everyone was crying. People were in a total state of shock. This was a defenseless little puppy."

Ralph's owner says the Staffie has not been put down but urges its owner to do so.

"The owner needs to understand the severity of this. The Staffie should not be on our streets. It should be put down. It's bad for our community. I don't want it to attack again or to attack a child."

"This has been such a traumatising experience. I still feel sick to the stomach. Every few hours I get visions of the attack and hear the noises. There was blood and poo everywhere - it was a horror scene. I'm really worried about my five-year-old daughter who saw the whole thing.

"Hopefully Ralph goes back to the happy little dog he was before this."