A COUPLE on holiday in Dorset were left stunned after their puppy was kicked in an unprovoked attack in Dorchester.

Holidaymakers Valerie and Ivan Eaves were on their regular break in Weymouth and went to visit the county town for the day when 11-month old West Highland white terrier Hollie was kicked in broad daylight.

Mrs Eaves, 67, said: “We were just walking along and this chap came along and literally just kicked her out the way.

“I turned round and shouted at him and told my husband he had just kicked Hollie.

“The chap just turned round, smiled and walked off.”

Mrs Eaves said the kick was forceful and completely unprovoked, leaving her pet shaken.

She said: “All she was doing was walking alongside me, she’s not an aggressive dog.

“My husband was fuming and I had to pull him back.

“The man just turned round and said she shouldn’t have been in the way.”

The incident occurred at around 11am on Wednesday in High West Street, near the Royal Oak pub.

Mrs Eaves and husband Ivan, 66, from Witham in Essex, have been regular visitors to Dorset since 1986.

She said the attack on Hollie had left a negative impression of their latest two-week stay in the area.

Mrs Eaves said: “We always come down and stay in Weymouth and always go to Dorchester.

“This was Hollie’s first holiday with us and for something like that to happen really isn’t nice.

“I don’t know how anyone could do that.”

Mrs Eaves said the man who kicked the dog was aged between 35 to 40 and was wearing black leathers and carrying a motorcycle helmet.

Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester Police said: “We’re looking into this.

“It’s a very unusual circumstance.

“We’d be interested in speaking to any witnesses of anyone with information. Dorchester is a very safe town and incidents such as this are very rare.”

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact officer in the case PC Melanie Caldow on 01305 222222.