Bronwyn O'Brien was sporting two heavily-bandaged legs when she spoke to the Daily Liberal about her ordeal, which began as she arrived home at her St Georges Terrace residence about 7.55pm Saturday.

She saw the German shepherd and another smaller dog on the loose, and as she got out of the car to go inside the dog ran at a passerby who was walking her own dog.

"She told me to call my dogs off and I told her they weren't mine," Ms O'Brien said.

Once inside, Ms O'Brien told her sister, who was also home, what had happened and they called Dubbo City Council.

"We thought we'd best call, we were worried for the welfare of people in the area," she said.

"The call went through to their call centre. About 8.40pm I said to my sister, 'I wonder if they've been to get that dog?' so I went out to check."

As Ms O'Brien walked across her yard, the German shepherd, which had been standing on the nearby Bell Avenue intersection, "came charging over" and grabbed her right leg.

Ms O'Brien ended up on the ground and grabbed a garden hose on the front lawn to try to fend off the attack and the dog retreated.

She made her way back into the front door and the two sisters used towels to bandage wounds to both Ms O'Brien's legs.

Meanwhile, from their front window they saw the dog head back across the road and bark at the window of the house across the road opposite.

"We rang the police to report that I had been bitten, and they arrived about 9.15pm," she said.

In the interim, the sisters called a third sister who arrived at the house with her husband.

"We were talking to her on her mobile while she was in the car out the front, they couldn't get out of the car because they were too frightened of the dog - it was still there running around," Ms O'Brien said.

Police used capsicum spray to try to subdue the dog before a council ranger arrived and caught and impounded the animal.

Ms O'Brien was treated for bite wounds that night and returned to Dubbo Hospital on Sunday for more treatment.

"There were concerns about infection, there's a 4cm gash and a 1.5 to 2cm gash to the side of my right leg, and it would go nearly 2cm deep," she said.

Despite the frightening nature of the attack, Ms O'Brien did not blame the dog's owners.

"It was a windy night, perhaps the wind blew the gate open, I think the dog was very frightened in a strange environment (being outside), and the wind and the darkness were contributing factors," she said.

"The owners talked to my sister and she told me they were devastated and remorseful and they had never seen any sign this would happen.

"I do believe it could have been prevented if a ranger had come sooner, after I first called, but the call went through to a call centre. The ranger was not notified until police rang for him at 9.15pm.

"I know they (Council) probably get a lot of calls about dogs being out, but the fact that it was a big German shepherd on the loose and people were terrified should have been enough.

"I'm glad this didn't happen to a small child."

The dog had been surrendered by its owners and would be euthanised, Dubbo City Council's manager of environmental control Debbie Archer said.

"Statements will be taken to determine if any further action is required," she said.

"Council reminds dog owners that it is their legal responsibility to prevent their dog from escaping. Dogs must also be kept on a lead when in a public place."

Council was unable to provide further comment as the matter was under investigation.