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A kind celebrity couple who saved a huge Canary Mastiff from being put down have told of their regret after it tore their beloved pet Yorkshire Terrier apart.

German TV stars Caro and Andreas Robens said the loss of their six-year-old pooch Zwerg was the one of the lowest points of their lives.

The rare breed is infamously difficult to keep but the Majorca-based expats refused to condemn Zwerg's killer Bulli, blaming his previous owners "making him what he is".

Caro, 40, her husband Andreas, 53, and their beloved Zwerg - dwarf in German - rose to fame in the VOX TV series about expats that move abroad called "Goodbye Germany".

(Image: CEN/@caroline_andreas_robens)

The pair, who run successful local businesses "Iron Gym" and the "Iron DEner" on the island, took pity on Bulli after hearing he had only three months to find a home before being put to sleep.

But there were warning signs that it would not work out after he attacked Zwerg almost as soon as he moved in with them in October last year, breaking two ribs.

The Canary Mastiff is the animal symbol of Gran Canaria and is famously aggressive to other dogs and suspicious of strangers.

It is prized for dog fighting and difficult to keep without early obedience and socialisation training, according to experts.

(Image: CEN/@caroline_andreas_robens)

A Canary Mastiff killed lacrosse player Diane Whipple in 2001 when she walked into her apartment in San Francisco.

They killed again in Ireland in 2017 when three that were owned by the victim's son attacked her.

The German couple decided to forgive Bulli his first attack on Zwerg, putting it down to a troubled former owner and hoping that they could train him to put the aggression into the past.

But instead he struck again, grabbing the smaller dog and this time injuring the Yorkshire Terrier so badly that he died.

(Image: CEN/@caroline_andreas_robens)

The heartbroken Caro said she regretted "having met the mastiff at all" and her partner Andreas agreed saying: "I simply shouldn't have taken this dog".

He added that the loss of their beloved Yorkshire terrier was one of the lowest points in their lives.

They have handed Bulli back to the shelter, and are now trying to come to terms with the loss of their faithful six year old companion.

In an Instagram posting Caro however defended Bulli against critics saying: "We are overwhelmed by all the very kind comments from people about our loss and we intend to make personal replies to everybody.

"However there are so many that we won't manage it all once.

"But I'd also like to say to all the wicked people that we are really shocked about your comments and want to say that it's people like you that were responsible for raising Bulli and making him what he is. He is not the beast, he's just an animal. You are the real beasts."

The Perro de Presa Canario, also known as the Canary Mastiff, is a rare large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock.