The dog bit newsagent Sylvia Caffrey, 60, in the face as she intervened to stop it savaging her pet bichon frise Missy.
Mrs Caffrey, who is 4ft 10in tall, suffered cuts to her nose as she held Missy above her head from harm’s away while the bull mastiff jumped up at her.
Three-year-old Missy also suffered serious injuries when she was bitten six times on the stomach during the the attack in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester.
But magistrates were told it had been placed in a new home with a family of six children, including a child with autism.
During the hearing an animal behavioural expert said the bull mastiff was a 'lovely animal' that posed no threat to humans.
Its former owner Helen Sayle, 47, was ordered to pay Mrs Caffrey £150 compensation at the rate of £5 a week.
The mother of four, an office cleaner who admitted having a dangerous dog, was also ordered to pay the £500 vets fees plus costs of £100 and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.
The case comes just two days after four-year-old Lexi Branson was mauled to death by a bulldog at her home in Leicestershire.
After the hearing Mrs Caffrey said: 'This sentence is an insult after I what I went through. Just because that dog’s gone to live with someone doesn’t mean it’s no longer dangerous.
'It has had the taste of blood now and I dread to think what will happen next. It should have been destroyed. How long will it be before it attacks someone else?
'It made me feel sick inside to hear of that little girl who was killed. I thought the magistrates would have taken all this into account and ordered to have the dog be put to sleep. I just can’t believe it’s been given a reprieve.'
The incident occurred on June 8 while Mrs Caffrey was walking Missy along a road near her home.
The bull mastiff had escaped from Sayle’s garden and was running around the street but had been caught by neighbour using a child’s belt as a makeshift lead.
The dog was being taken back to Sayle’s home when it suddenly snapped the belt and broke free as it spotted Mrs Caffrey’s tiny pet.
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| This ridiculously dressed woman, Helen Sayle, is the bull mastiff's original owner |
In court Professor Barry Peachey, an animal behaviour expert who examined the mastiff, said that the animal only injured Mrs Caffrey because it was attacking a smaller dog.
He said: 'The dog is patently not dangerous to human beings. It has no problems with big dogs. I have done hundreds of these cases and I would hardly ever be able to say I would rehome the dog myself but in this case I would. It is a lovely dog.
'The lady suffered an injury because the large dog was attacking a smaller one. If the lady was attacked by this Mastiff she would have been gravely injured.'
In mitigation defence lawyer Gemma McGungle said: 'This is a series of events that have occurred not through any fault of the owner. The defendant immediately took steps to ensure the area from which the dog escaped is now secure. More importantly than that she used her contacts within the co
mmunity to rehome the dog.
'The evidence is that Holly is not a dangerous, nasty or vicious dog, she is a playful dog.
'It just happens that the complainant has been caught up in an altercation between two dogs.
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| What a 'playful' bull mastiff can do |
'If this dog had of gone for the human she would have been seriously injured. She was injured in the melee.
'The defendant went to Mrs Caffrey’s house after this happened to apologise and offer to pay the compensation. This dog does not like small dogs. Rather than that being a characteristic that makes her dangerous she just requires a lead.'
The mastiff will be allowed to live with its new owner on the condition that in public places it is muzzled, kept on a lead, and under the care of someone over the age of 16.
Mrs Caffrey claimed after the court case that she had attempted to protect Missy from holding her above her head, but the bull mastiff managed to bite her pet's stomach.
She said: 'Missy had to have 6 tubes in her stomach to close up the wounds and some were so big that they couldn’t stitch them up. The whole ordeal was terrifying.
'I have always loved dogs but ever since it happened I have found myself going out of the way of bigger dogs to avoid them. If those lads weren’t there to help me I would have been in deep trouble.'
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| Lucky to be alive |
After the hearing its new owner Barry Taylor-Lewis, 31, refused to comment.
Sayle said: 'Holly is a beautiful dog and I’m happy with the new owners. I would never say Holly was ever a dangerous dog.
'It was all just an unfortunate event really. I’m happy she’s with a family now who can give her lots of individual attention.'
(Daily Mail - Nov 7, 2013)
ridiculous.
ReplyDeletelooks like the UK has its share no kill freaks too.