A woman was mauled by an out-of-control dog after it burst into her home in Aberdeen.

Sara Hay was bitten by the Staffie inside her flat in the city's Pennan Road, Tillydrone.

The canine burst into the 25-year-old's home to attack her dog, Honey, before turning on Sara and dragging both of them into her kitchen with its teeth on Monday.

Ms Hay was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and underwent a three-hour operation to repair injuries to both hands, including a broken finger, snapped ligaments and damage to nerves and tendons.

She has had to undergo plastic surgery and fears she won't regain the full feeling in her right hand again.

"My partner Craig went to open the door and the Staffie ran in and went for Honey who is a whippet-greyhound mix," she said.

"I had to get on the floor and tried to wrestle it off. The dog had a massive grab - the Staffie had a hold of Honey and my hand and dragged me into the kitchen.

"I managed to get out of the hold and had to run into the lobby to phone the emergency services.

"It was out of the owner's control but I don't want to see an animal put down as every dog can do something like this."

Police are investigating the attack and are looking for the owner, who ran off from the scene with his dog.

Ms Hay, who had only just started a new job at a bar, spoke of her shock when she realised how badly injured she was.

She said: "I started screaming and I couldn't move my pinky. When I got put into hospital my hand wouldn't stop bleeding.

"The ligament had snapped - I will never have full movement in part of my right hand.

"I have stitches in my left arm, left hand and right hand. The plastic surgeons have done a beautiful job.

"My injuries are still ugly but it looked so much better than when it happened.

"I still have a wire pole through my pinkie at the moment and a splint in my hand.

"I was really scared but I was more confused at what happened. All I could hear was my dog squealing - I thought she was dying.

"I started panicking and after an hour or two I thought I had lost my pinkie and it would probably be easier to just get it taken off."

The bar worker said she is too scared to return to her flat again following the ordeal and is now staying with her mum until she finds a new home.

"I'm not going back to my house ever again - I can't even go to the toilet properly," said Ms Hay.

"I may have chronic pain for the rest of my life - I will never have full movement in my right hand again."

Tillydrone community policing team inspector Lee Jardine said: "We have launched an investigation after a woman was bitten by a dog in the Pennan Road area of Aberdeen on Monday.

"The dog is believed to be a black Staffie-type dog.

"Our inquiries are ongoing and we would ask that anyone who has information contacts us on 101."