UNITED KINGDOM -- A dangerous dog that attacked another pet owner as she frantically cradled her prized Shih Tzu in her arms to prevent it from being savaged has been given a seven-day stay of execution.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard how the out-of-control boxer cross-breed ran from a garden in Linwood and jumped on top of Viviene Wallace as she walked her toy-sized pet in the town’s Kintyre Avenue.
The dog bit Ms Wallace on the face and knocked her to the ground before sinking its teeth into her arm and hand as she attempted to shield her own dog from harm.
Ms Wallace had already picked up her pet when she became alarmed after hearing Elizabeth McLaughlin shouting for the five-year-old boxer dog to come back inside.
Depute fiscal Hazel Emmerson told the court that, after the victim was knocked over, the snarling dog got on top of her, bit her on the right arm and hand and scratched her chest and upper forearm.
It then bit her pet, despite her best efforts to protect the animal.
Other people who were in the street and heard screams for help went to Ms Wallace’s aid and eventually managed to pull the dog away from her.
Witnesses reported seeing 32-year-old McLaughlin emerging to stand at her gate and watch as the attack was taking place.
Ms Emmerson said the badly-injured victim was taken to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital to have treatment for injuries to her face, arm, hand and chest.
The bite to Ms Wallace’s arm had left a gash that required nine stitches and she also had to have stitches in the cut to her face.
Her pet had to have a bite wound dressed and closed up with five staples.
It was stated that police had subsequently raised concerns over the accused’s ability to properly care for her dog and observed that she “seems not to care about the damage it had done or to care about what had happened to the victims.”
The court heard that McLaughlin had not been cautioned and charged at the time as she was under the influence of alcohol.
Animal welfare officers took possession of the boxer dog and held the animal in kennels, pending the outcome of the case, as there were concerns it had been out of control when there were young children in the area.
In court, McLaughlin pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control when it attacked Ms Wallace, jumped up on her, knocked her to the ground and bit and scratched her, whereby she was injured, before biting and injuring her dog.
The offence took place on August 25 this year.
McLaughlin, who was not represented in court, denied she had stood by and watched, insisting that she had not witnessed the incident.
Sheriff Tom Ward told her: “Your dog caused very bad injuries and, in these circumstances, it is uppermost in my mind that it should be destroyed as you cannot take care of it and it presents a danger to the public.”
He deferred sentence until October 8 to allow McLaughlin to seek legal advice and warned her that he would also be considering the imposition of an order banning her from keeping a dog.
(Pasiley Daily Express - Oct 3, 2013)
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