Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said Bhambhani was bitten on the hand. Bhambhani's injury is on his back.

MILFORD — A dog owner reported an off-leash German shepherd attacked his 5-pound Maltese on the town's bike path Sunday, according to police.

"As soon as it got a sniff of my dog it became incredibly aggressive and then started attacking him," North Attleborough resident Neil Bhambhani said.

Milford's animal control department is looking for the public's help in identifying the German shepherd and its presumed owner, a blonde woman in her 50s or 60s. Bhambhani told police the pair ran off while he tended to his injured pet.

The six-year-old Maltese, Nix, is on pain medication but recovering, after being bitten twice.

"Nix had to get a lot of stitches," Bhambhani said. "He had a big, gaping wound in his leg."

Bhambhani said he is going through a rabies shot regimen after he, too, was bitten, in the back, while rescuing Nix.

"I managed to grab my dog and hold him in my arms," the 23-year-old said. "... At some point (the attack) stopped, and they were both off running."

The incident happened on the Upper Charles Rail Trail around 1 p.m. Sunday, where the path crosses Beaver Street. The person reported to have been walking the German shepherd was described as a Caucasian woman in her 50s or 60s and she ran after the attack, according to Bhambhani. The woman also had long blonde hair pulled into a bun; the German shepherd was black and tan and wearing a red bandana.

Bhambhani said the woman seemed to have lost control of her dog, and that she yelled for Bhambhani to get out of the way as the bigger dog attacked.

"The owner clearly didn't have any control over her dog," he said, adding that the German shepherd knocked her over. "She was just yelling at me to run."

Bhambhani said he was walking the path with his mother, who had just moved to Milford, and his brother. Neither were hurt.

The animal control office has received a couple of tips, assistant animal control officer Keith Haynes said, but none have resulted in locating the dog in question.

"At this point he's kind of stuck with all the bills here, because we aren’t able to identify the (person) who owns the dog," Haynes said. "I'm really hoping we find something."

Nix's medical expenses were about $600, Bhambhani said. He doesn't know what his own will be yet. He said he also wants to make sure the dog isn't a danger to the community.

The number for Milford's animal control office is 508-478-3871.

Alison Bosma can be reached at 508-634-7582 or abosma@wickedlocal.com. Find her on Twitter at @AlisonBosma.