A pensioner who had to have a skin graft after being rushed at by a friendly dog is urging dog walkers to be aware of what their animals are doing.

Pam Payne, from Broad Haven, was walking her German Shepherd, Lexi, at Haverfordwest Racecourse when a golden Labrador retriever came bounding towards her and bumped against her shin.

The dog's owner was unaware of what had happened and carried on walking. Leaving Pam, whose leg was pouring with blood, to limp back to her car and drive home.

"I don't think the girl realised what had happened," said Pam. "She just walked off. I didn't realise how bad it was. I walked to the car with blood pouring down my leg. I just wanted to get home."

Pam's granddaughter took her into Withybush, where she was kept overnight before being transferred to Morriston hospital in Swansea for a skin graft.

The incident happened at the end of April and Pam has been housebound ever since, relying on a district nurse to visit the house twice a week to change her dressings and family members to walk Lexi.

She has been told that it will be months before she is well enough to walk her dog and at least a year before the scar is healed. She will always have a hole in her leg.

Pam thinks the injury was exacerbated by the fact that three weeks earlier, also at the racecourse, a dog that was playing with hers scratched her leg.

"It was just about better and then this dog bumped into me," she said. "I can't believe just a dog bashing into me could do so much damage.

"I'm now house bound and won't be driving for a couple of months. I'm used to taking my dog out for a walk twice a day. I miss it.

"I just want people to keep an eye on their animals especially around elderly people and children. If you have a dog be aware of people, don't let them bump into people or jump up."