A DOG owner has revealed his anguish over "mindless vandals" who placed a lit firework in the garage where his two pooches were trapped.
Wayne Roberts, 40, said German Shepherd JD and border collie Coke had been subjected to torture and left frightened after a spate of attacks on his garage in Primrose Street, Accrington.
He said: "They could have died in there and the house could have gone up as well if we hadn’t realised what was happening.
"At the end of the day, it’s not just a bit of a laugh. If the garage had gone up and the dogs died there would have been two devastated children too."
Wagon driver Wayne now expects to pay more than £2,000 to get the damaged garage door repaired and believes youths are to blame for the firework attack.
He said 10-year-old JD and five-year-old Coke – named after his 28-year-old wife Linzay’s favourite tipple – were running scared and could not relax.
"My dogs are petrified. My garage backs on to an alleyway where youths often walk past. We’ve found bottles, light bulbs and all sorts. It’s been going on for a long time."
The two dogs are usually in the garage between 8.20am and 9.20am while the couple’s children, Reece, five, and Joesph, two, are taken to school and nursery.
Wayne added: "On the day in question we heard the dogs barking before hearing an almighty squeal. On running out to the back door we opened the garage and saw a firework in the garage. Before you knew it JD bolted like a bat out of hell into the house."
Father-of-two Wayne hopes the police can catch the culprits and stop the attacks.
He said: "I wonder how people would feel if this happened to their dogs or pets? Dogs are scared of fireworks at the best of times. JD and Coke are being tormented and whoever is doing it is making them ill. They’re different dogs now."
The firework incident is believed to have taken place at around 5.20pm on 29 June.
Anyone with further information should contact police on 01254 353103.
