Child's dog mauled to death by two large mastiffs

A mother has spoken of her heartbreak after her new dog was mauled to death by two large mastiffs.

The canine pair dug into the family's Perth backyard, as they slept.

Single mother Samar Abdullah, 28, said Rocco was a gentle, cheeky dog.

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The Pomeranian was adopted just two weeks ago as a gift for her daughter's birthday.

"I'd seen improvement with my daughter with that dog. She was happy," she said.

But yesterday the mother and her two children said goodbye to their dog.

"Rocco was a dog, but he was one of my kids and I've lost a kid," she said.

She woke up to the sound of the attack in her Heathridge backyard in Joondalup. 

She saw Rocco being mauled by two mastiffs.

"One of the dogs was holding Rocco from the neck, and from the stomach," she said

Samar says the dogs escaped a neighbour's home, and dug under her fence to get to Rocco.

"That chance I had - living a happy life with my girls and Rocco, has been taken away from us," she said.

The mother of two is now calling for the owner of the mastiff's to be held responsible, saying the City of Joondalup is now investigating the attack.

The mastiff's owner told 9News he's surrendered his dogs to the RSPCA.

He said the canines got out through temporary construction fencing set up at the property.