The attack came less than three weeks after Domestic Animal Services announced it was reducing the opening hours of its Mugga Lane shelter to allow rangers to spend more time on patrol and responding to complaints.

Domestic Animal Services registrar Scott Horan denied yesterday the changes were due to funding cuts but said he couldn't comment on whether the service needed more funding.

There were six rangers, two senior rangers, a registrar and deputy registrar operating a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service.

Mr Horan said there were five rangers per shift including two in the office, which left one ranger to patrol each zone of Canberra north, south and central.

Dustin and Laura Welbourne are distraught after their two-year-old chihuahua Bonnie was killed in a dog attack on Wednesday.

Fiona Coghill, from Kippax Veterinary Hospital, examined the body of Bonnie and confirmed yesterday the little dog died as a result of a single ''crushing'' bite that penetrated her chest, the bite mark indicating the attack was by a big breed dog.

Dr Coghill said she was disturbed by owners not being responsible and keeping aggressive dogs secured in a yard.

''No one should have to come home to find their dog killed,'' she said.

Mrs Welbourne said she called Domestic Animal Services twice last week to complain about three large aggressive dogs owned by neighbours that were being allowed to roam their street.

She says she was told a ranger would come out to try to get the dogs but maintains she saw no one and the dogs were still out on the loose later on both days.

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.