This is the "good dog" which turned on his owners and brutally killed a much-loved mum with its jaws.
The heartbroken family of a mother who was savagely mauled to death by her dog, have described the pet to be "bigger than a lion".
Joanne Robinson, 43, tragically died after her pet Rocco – pictured innocently chewing on a ball – launched a brutal attack after the beast suddenly "snapped" at their home in South Yorkshire.
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Rocco, described by the mum's heartbroken family as being "bigger than a lion" and a "small horse, was one of the family's two American Bully XL dogs.
Up until the horror mauling, which happened late on Friday night after Joanne returned from a night out, the dog classed as a "good" pet and "no trouble".
Mum-of-two Joanne is believed to have been viciously pinned down by the pet as he clenched his jaws onto her, after she returned home from a night out.
Her partner, Jamie Stead, 42, suffered devastating injuries to his face, hands and chest as he tried to pull the animal away from her, reports The Mirror.
Joanne was earlier described as a "beautiful angel" by her friends in tributes left near her home in West Melton, near Rotherham.
A warning sign on the front wall of her daughter’s house states: “Beware of dog.”
Joanne's heartbroken mum, Dotty Robinson, speaking outside the family home, said: “I am in total disbelief and shock. I just hope it was quick and that she didn’t suffer too much.”
Dotty urged dog owners to be extra vigilant of their pets during the UK’s blistering heatwave.
She said of popular Joanne, a former worker with disabled people: “I want everyone to know how well loved she was. She was born and bred in this village. They all know her and love her.”
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Dotty told how Rocco – who was nearly two and his two-year-old mate, Bully XL bitch Lola – were both seized and destroyed by police.
Speaking about the ordeal, the gran of nine, supported by other family members, said: “They were good dogs, they are not a banned breed and were not dangerous.
"They were not related but they got on well together. I don’t know why they suddenly snapped.
“I can only think they turned mad in the extreme heat. It must have set them off. Rocco’s a big dog, he’s bigger than a lion.”
Her tearful granddaughter added: “He was like a small horse.”
Dotty, a mum of three who lives nearby, said: “They’ve had the dogs since they were puppies. They were no trouble.
She re-emphasised: “It must have been the heat. There’s a saying about mad dogs going out in the midday sun.”
Dotty, reliving the horror, told how her daughter has been to visit a friend and had walked back into the house about 10pm.
She explained: “She was downstairs and suddenly Rocco attacked her, it got her, I think it was around the throat.
“Lola was going mad, she was trying to be protective and Steady, Joanne’s partner but we call him her husband, tried to save her.
“He was trying to get Lola out of the room, he had no choice but to get her out and during that time Rocco attacked.”
Jamie, who runs a company making blinds, suffered injuries to his face, both arms, his stomach and has undergone skin grafting.
Dotty said: “He knows Joanna has gone and is absolutely devastated as we all are. We will miss her so much.
“He’s had a horrible ordeal. He’s lost his partner of twenty years and his dogs.”
South Yorkshire Police said: “We were called to a property on Masefield Road in West Melton last night around 10:15 pm when a member of the public stated that a dog had attacked him and a woman.
“Officers arrived with the Yorkshire Ambulance Brigade and found a 42-year-old man with a potentially life-threatening injury to one arm, as well as injuries to the other arm, abdomen and face.
"A 43-year-old woman was mortally bitten, and, despite the best efforts of the rescuers, she was sadly pronounced dead on the spot.”
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