An Exmouth woman is demanding action after she witnessed a pack of wild dogs savage her pet at a popular beach in Western Australia's north west.

Key points: An Exmouth woman needed six stitches for intervening when wild dogs attacked her dog on a local beach

An Exmouth woman needed six stitches for intervening when wild dogs attacked her dog on a local beach Her Maltese-Jack Russell cross was mauled by the dogs, and later died

Her Maltese-Jack Russell cross was mauled by the dogs, and later died The incident comes as Exmouth gears up for its whale shark season starting in April

Asha Haegel said residents had complained for two years about the wild dogs, and she now intended to sue the Shire of Exmouth for failing to act.

Warning: This story contains images that may disturb some readers.

"I want that beach closed until those dogs — or dingoes, or whatever they are — are dealt with," she said.

"There have been complaints about this for at least two years [and] the shire has sat on its [hands]."

Exmouth Shire president Matthew Niikkula posted a warning on social media on Saturday and said the council had implemented increased ranger patrols following the incident.

Ms Haegel was walking her Maltese-Jack Russell cross, Mickey, with her partner on Saturday when the wild dogs appeared.

"[We] were down at the beach, it's the main beach that all the pet owners take their dogs to for walks, and my little one would have been 5 or 10 metres behind us," she said.

"And he was just having a scratch around.

"I looked [at him], I looked back at the ocean, and the next thing I heard was a little yip.

"I looked back at him and there were three wild dogs basically pulling him apart like a rag doll.

"We both charged at them screaming as loud as we could to intimidate them and they just weren't afraid of us at all."

Wild dogs fearless of humans

Ms Haegel said the wild dogs were not deterred as she and her partner got "in amongst them" and tried to rescue Mickey.

Mickey the dog died after being mauled by a pack of wild dogs. ( Supplied: Asha Haegel )

She received a large cut to her lip, which required six stitches, a tetanus needle, and a strong course of antibiotics.

She said it was only when her other pet dog came to the aid of them that the pack was eventually scared off.

"Thankfully our other dog, a red heeler, he got to them before we did and he scared them off," she said.

Ms Haegel rushed Mickey to the vet, but he later died.

She said she met with a ranger from the Shire of Exmouth, but said she was disappointed with the response.

Asha Haegel needed six stitches to her face after trying to save her dog Mickey from a wild dog attack. ( Supplied Asha Haegel )

"I met with the ranger this morning and made a formal statement," she said.

"They've done nothing. There were no signs [and] no warnings.

"Hundreds of people go there every day."

Shire of Exmouth chief executive Cameron Woods told the ABC wild dogs had been relocated or destroyed in the past, depending on circumstances.

Exmouth is a popular tourist destination, with an average of 151,000 visitors to the shire each year. ( ABC Pilbara: Rebecca Parish )

Mr Woods said the shire was now looking at numerous options including erecting signage at the location and dealing with the worrisome pack.

"It's not as easy as turning up tomorrow at a particular time and hoping the three dogs wander out and deciding whether you're going to shoot them," he said.

"People need to also realise if they have been sighted there, if you're going to walk your dogs [then] walk your dogs on leads. Try not to be alone with your dogs.

"Don't have small children outside of the car and leave them unattended.

"Some common sense [is needed] around living in a remote, rural area that has dingoes for a start."

Mr Woods said when wild dogs become aggressive or stalk people the shire would act.

He added his staff were now trying to ascertain whether part of the land where the pack has been sighted belongs to the Australian Defence Force.

If so, that would ascertain which agency would deal with the matter.

Dogs or dingos?

The incident has ignited debate over whether the dogs were dingoes or whether they were wild dogs. However Ms Haegel told the ABC one of the dogs was black in colour.

Reports of another incident in Exmouth on the same day were posted on social media, with a woman stating she was with a friend when she encountered a pack of three dogs that were scared off by another person who was in their car nearby.

"We didn't have our phones on us so we would have been stuck if it wasn't for other crew on the beach," the post read.

The incident comes as Exmouth ramps up for its busiest time of the year, which kicks off in April with the beginning of the whale shark tourism season.

According to Tourism WA statistics, more than 151,000 visitors make their way to Exmouth each year.

Not just a problem for Exmouth

Further inland, the community of Tom Price has also been dealing with numerous reports of wild dog encounters.

A wild dog crosses Yardie Creek Road in the Cape Range National Park. ( ABC Pilbara: Rebecca Parish )

Ashburton Shire president Kerry White said, in the past two weeks, there had been five reports of dog attacks in the shire.

"Pets are being taken and we are very frightened that they might attack people if they are out walking late at night," she said.

"We've had this problem once before. In the past, rangers have trapped them and dealt with the situation, which we are expecting to happen this time as well.

"The rangers have caught some … They are onto it in collaboration with the police, so there is not a lot we can do until we eradicate them again."

In 2018, a 58-year-old woman was attacked by a pair of dingoes at a Pilbara mine site.

Three rules for dealing with dingoes: 1. Don't run 2. Don't make sudden movements 3. Never turn your back

Victim Deborah Rundle required surgery for deep wounds after she said one dingo took her phone as she was having lunch.

"I stepped forward to pick up my phone but saw the dingoes looking at me," she said.

"I started to back away, facing them, when they attacked me.

"They grabbed at my arms and legs while I screamed for help."

Her case against Newcrest Mining remained before the District Court.

The Shire of Exmouth was contacted for comment.

The shire's website stated that dog attacks were taken very seriously.