There have been calls for dog owners to be vigilant with their pets after a German Shepherd attacked and killed a goose at Verulamium Lake recently.

Groups of people including families and children witnessed the dog attack and kill the Canadian Goose, thought to be less than a year old.

Many took to Facebook to express their concern about how the owner handled the situation and her pet, leaving the scene swiftly without reprimanding the animal or apologising to those who saw the incident.

One onlooker, Eliana Amorim , of St Albans, was walking with her friend in the park when she heard the commotion and went to the lake.

She said: “The dog grabbed him [the goose] by the neck and shook him and broke his neck. Imagine if a child was there? That could have easily been a child the way that dog ran at those geese.

“She [the owner] didn’t do anything. She didn’t go back. The dog went to her and they carried on walking after she put him on the lead.”

Eliana added that she walks in the park daily and despite being a dog-lover, often feels intimidated by dogs which are off the lead.

She said that often the ducks remain in the lake as they are too scared to come out of the water.

She added: “If you’re in a public place keep your animals under control.”

Debbi White, property and asset manager for St Albans district council, said: “We are sorry to hear that a dog attacked birds in Verulamium Park. It is very unusual for something like this to happen.

“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and make sure their pets are well behaved when walking in the park.

“For those reasons, a by-law dating from 1934 that requires dogs to be kept under proper control has not been updated for many years and carries only a £2 fine.

“We have no plans to update it in the future, but will take action if we think there is a need to do so.

“Dog owners should be aware that our park rangers recommend that dogs are put on a leash when in the vicinity of the lakes. This is because of the presence of geese and ducks.”