A dangerous ‘Staffy’ which savagely killed a tiny dog as it tried to protect a mother and young child, is still at large in Frodsham.

Little Pepper, a much-loved Jack Russell, was killed instantly during the vicious attack by an out-of-control Staffordshire Bull Terrier while being walked with other dogs near ‘the Lagoon’ on Saturday night.

Police are still hunting for the animal and it’s owners– who ran away and whistled for it to follow them, as the dog walkers tried to help the dead pet.

Now the owner of little Pepper has appealed for help catching the “irresponsible” men, saying the attack could have been even more serious – as she was being walked by family friend Claire, her husband and their primary school aged child.

Dog walker Kevin, told Pepper's devastated owner how she growled at the “aggressive” Staffy as it came near his young family – before it attacked, biting the three-year-old pet in the incident on Frodsham Marshes, close to the M56.

Kevin kicked the Staffordshire Bull Terrier away– but it struck again, delivering the fatal puncture wound.

Owner Lyn Caine, a respite carer from Runcorn, left Pepper with family friends in Frodsham while she visited her daughter Jo and her first grandchild in London last week.

Yesterday (Monday, June 16) the family were still reeling from the shock of the attack, and told The Chronicle they wanted the public’s help to track down the owners.

“What if that had been a child or had gone for [Kevin's] arm; it might not have stopped,” said Jo, who said Pepper had been her 63-year-old mum’s loyal companion and a therapy dog for dementia patients.

“She was not just a dog, we have had her since she was ten-weeks-old. Pepper was tiny but defensive; if something happened she thought she could take on Goliath.”

Sympathy has been pouring in for little Pepper on the Chester Chronicle's Facebook page, with readers slating the Staffy's owners as “irresponsible” and giving the Staffy’ breed a “bad name”.

Pepper's owner Lyn is heartbroken following the attack at 'The Lagoon' on Frodsham Marshes

Police launched an immediate manhunt for the two men; and placed a description of them on twitter, in a bid to stop other animals being attacked in the market town.

The men are described as white; aged in their late teens to early 20s; and wearing black t-shirts and shorts.

PC Adam Norton said: "We made a search of the surrounding area but the offending males have not yet been located.

"These incidents are almost always the result of irresponsible owners failing to adequately train and control their dogs.

"We seek to take action to prevent further incidents."

Anyone with any information is asked to call 101 quoting incident 816 of June 14.