Mum-to-be in dog attack terror

Dec 31 2008 by Richard Mooney, Hamilton Advertiser

Mum-to-be in dog attack terror

A LARKHALL mum-to-be was this week distraught after watching two Staffordshire bull terriers maul her pet dog.

Maureen Hill (27), who is due to give birth in a fortnight, was walking her dog along Mason Street, Larkhall, at midday on Christmas Eve when the vicious dogs attacked her collie, Jet.

One Staffie bit into Jet’s back leg while the other ripped his ear.

Maureen sought help and eventually the bull terriers were chased away.

Yesterday (Wednesday), Jet was on the mend after his wounds were treated.

And now Maureen, an employee at British Gas, has called for more curbs on dogs considered dangerous.

Speaking of the “horrifying experience”, she told the Advertiser: “The shock of the attack didn’t do me or my baby any good.

“When I came home after the incident Jet wouldn’t come near me because he was still frightened and that broke my heart; I was howling and crying.

“Jet’s ear was all ripped and he had bite marks on the back of his leg.”

She added: “One of the dogs was holding Jet’s back end while the other was biting at his face and ear.

“I ran into a woman’s garden, screaming for help. Then a woman next door came out and started shouting at the dogs. One ran away and Jet escaped and ran home.

Maureen said she didn’t know who owned the dogs, but was considering reporting the incident to police.

Alex Neil, SNP MSP for Central Scotland, is proposing fresh measures to tackle the problem of attacks by dangerous dogs.

He is a critic of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which places restrictions on certain types of breeds such as pit bull terriers.

He said the legislation had never worked the way it was supposed to and had failed to reduce horrific dog attacks.

He has proposed the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, due to be published in April, that would see control orders - dog ASBOs - placed on owners of dangerous dogs.

He said: “Clearly these two Staffies should never have been let out alone without being under somebody’s control and the owner should be brought to book.

“We cannot have this situation where people are frightened to walk the streets and to walk their own dogs for fear of an attack by one or two other dogs.

“It’s a totally unacceptable situation and the current legislation doesn’t deal with it effectively.”