A man had to punch his dog in the face to stop it attacking another dog.
Kevin Mutch, 24, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday where he admitted that his Staffordshire bull terrier had been dangerously out of control when it attacked another dog at Aquithie Lane, Kemnay, on September 26, 2007.
The court heard that earlier that year Mutch, of 9 Latch Road, Brechin, had been formally warned to keep the dog under control while walking it.
Fiscal depute Claire Smith said that Ronald Ewen had been walking his golden retriever along Aquithie Lane when they were approached by the unaccompanied Staffordshire bull terrier, which Mr Ewen knew belonged to Mutch.
“Suddenly without warning, Mutch’s dog lunged at Mr Ewen’s dog and bit it on the chin,” Ms Smith said.
“Mr Ewen attempted to stop Mutch’s dog and whilst doing so ended up on the ground, trying to pull the dog off.”
The fiscal said that nearby residents came to help Mr Ewen, with one woman striking the terrier in attempt to get it to let go of the golden retriever.
Ms Smith added: “Mutch subsequently attended and complained about the treatment of his dog. He picked it up, but it maintained its grip on Mr Ewen’s dog. Mutch punched his dog several times in the face and it eventually let go.”
Defence agent Neil McRobert said: “The dog was in the garden, when an argument broke out between family members. The dog got kicked and responded to this by bolting from the garden. Mutch knows he should have taken steps to secure it in the garden.”
Mr McRobert added that his client had taken steps to ensure there was not a repeat of the incident, by neutering the dog and taking it to obedience classes. He added that the dog now also has regular contact with two young children, and that there had been no further difficulties.
Mutch also pleaded guilty to failing to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on three occasions since the incident.
Sheriff Edward Savage fined him £900.