UNITED KINGDOM -- A YOUNG mother has been banned from keeping dogs after her Staffordshire bull terriers attacked another dog and injured its owner.
At Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Laura Devine, 21, of Airfield Road, Bury, pleaded guilty to two charges of allowing a dog to be out of control in a public place causing injury.
The victim, Beverley Hassan, was out walking her dog Mason on Moreton Hall in March when the loose dogs appeared without an owner and ‘launched’ at Mason, said Rosalind Cappleman, prosecuting.
In a statement read to the court Ms Hassan described how the dogs sank their teeth into Mason’s neck and were ‘hanging off’ him.
The attack lasted for 15 minutes and, despite hitting and pulling at the dogs, Ms Hassan could not get them off. They finally let go when Devine’s mother and brother found them.
Mason had to have an operation costing more than £1,000. Ms Hassan suffered injuries to her hands and leg.
Claire Lockwood, in mitigatinon, said Devine had been in the bath when her children accidentally let the dogs out.
Miss Lockwood said Devine had owned Rocky and Lennox for three years and had ‘never had any problems or concerns’ with them before.
Devine said had since re-homed the dogs and did not know where they were now.
She was ordered to pay £1,250 compensation, £85 costs and was given a two- year conditional discharge. She was banned from keeping dogs for five years.
(Bury Free Press - August 5, 2011)
