A mum says she has been left heartbroken after her English Bull Terrier was mowed down and killed on Boxing Day.

%image(15282977, type="article-full", alt="Wendy Collins said her two-year-old daughter Amelia "loved" Jaki")

Wendy Collins, of Barking Road, Upton Park, said her six-year-old dog Jaki received six single breaks to his back and a compressed spine as a result of a car “ramming” him outside West Ham’s former Boleyn Ground in Green Street between 12pm and 1pm.

Despite being rushed to an emergency vet by police, the family pet had to be put down shortly afterwards as his spine was “completely gone”.

“I fell to the floor screaming,” said Wendy of the moment she received the gloomy prognosis from the vet. “I am heartbroken. I do not think I will get another dog as I was so close to him.”

The 25-year-old – who has a daughter Amelia, two – is now appealing for witnesses to come forward to find the driver who illegally failed to stop and notify police of the crash.

%image(15282979, type="article-full", alt="Wendy Collins by the crossing where her dog was run over by a hit-and-run driver")

“I am shocked,” she said. “I just really want to find the person that hurt him and find out why they did not stop. I just want them to own up and apologise.”

Wendy, who described Jaki as a “friendly and lovable” pet, said he escaped her block of flats after the front communal door was left open by someone and he became “spooked by something”.

After searching for more than 30 minutes, she came across Jaki lying motionless on the ground.

Two people who witnessed what had happened had already tried to help the brown and white “muscly” dog out of the road. Wendy claims that she was told that a man was driving the car involved in the crash.

“I found him on the pavement with blood all in his mouth,” Wendy said. “He was panting and wasn’t able to lift his head.”

Jakki was given to Wendy by a friend three months ago athough she has known him for the last three years.

“He was everyone’s best friend – my daughter loved him,” she said. “She doesn’t yet understand that he’s not coming back.”

Jakki says the timing of the incident has left her particularly upset as her own family dog was put down a week before Christmas.

A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed that officers were called at 12.45pm and took the dog to an emergency vet in Wanstead.

Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.