A PENSIONER was left ‘distraught’ and ‘shocked’ after her dog was kicked by a man in what she says was a completely unprovoked attack.

Kathryn Dales, 71, said she moved to the Weymouth area with her dog Pippi in April for the sea, climate and dog-friendly beaches.

However, the incident has left Kathryn shocked and worried it could happen again.

Speaking to the Echo, Kathryn said: “I was walking along Preston Beach by the Oasis Café.

“I walked about 100 yards along and sat down on a bench.

“Pippi was sitting on the floor, he wasn’t on a lead.

“There weren’t many people around.

“A middle aged man and his daughter were jogging along the front, slowly coming towards us.”

Kathryn said that Pippi nearly always goes up to people ‘to say hello’ and approached the man before he was kicked several times.

She said: “As he was running he just swung his leg into his ribs, at one point kicking him off his feet into the air.

“I was distraught. It was completely unprovoked.

“I shouted after him but he just carried on running – he didn’t even look at me.

“My dog was shaking and whimpering. I was so shocked that anyone could do that.

“Thankfully he was okay, but I was so worried about him.

“He is only little and the man really kicked him hard. I don’t know what I would do without him.

“I rang my children that night and they were just horrified.

“When I next took him for a walk, he was very anxious. I’ve moved here and it’s been lovely and it’s a lovely place, but then something like this happens.

“He has never been aggressive to anyone, he is so friendly and just loves people.”

Kathryn adopted two-year-old Pippi, who is a toy poodle cross, just after her husband passed away a year ago.

She added: “It can get very lonely on your own. He really did change and save my life.”

Kathryn said, having spoken with a friend who has a dog rescue centre, she had decided not to inform the police about the incident as she felt it would be difficult to trace the man responsible.

She spoke out over the attack after Café Oasis proprietor Paul Cocks sent a letter to the Echo calling for dogs to be banned from the whole length of Weymouth Beach down to Bowleaze.

He said his comments were due to concern for dog mess in the area and he was appalled to hear of the attack on Kathryn’s dog.

He said: “That’s just vile."