Torry residents claim they are living in fear of a ‘devil dog’ that has repeatedly attacked other pooches.
Aberdeen City Council say they have taken “appropriate action” following several complaints about an ‘out of control’ Japanese Akita.
However, concerned locals say ‘nothing is being done’ about repeated attacks and it’s only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured.
One, who chose not to be named, told The Press and Journal how the powerful dog knocked them unconscious as they feared it would ‘rip their dog apart’.
It was their second encounter with the animal, with both attacks reported to the dog warden.
They said: “It went straight for my dog. The owner wasn’t in control at all.
“It also happened a second time, and the dog knocked me unconscious and I don’t remember getting home that night.
“I saw the dog barrelling towards mine and managed to get him on the lead – I was trying to protect him.
“That’s when I was knocked over and banged my head, everything else is a blur.
“I came to in my kitchen and I reported the incident to the dog warden.
“But it ended up that I had to hand over my dog to my grandson for six months because I was terrified to walk him after that.
Torry local thought ‘devil dog’ was going to rip their dog apart
“I thought it was going to rip my dog apart.
“I’m disabled and I don’t walk very well so I was scared that I wasn’t going to be enough to help him.
“It’s animals it’s attacking just now but next time it could be a kid – the owner has absolutely no control over it.
“It’s a very serious serious problem in the area.
“A lot of people have complained to the dog warden and nothing is being done.”
Resident Brenda Hunter also complained about the dog, which attacked her two-year-old Lhasa Apso and Chinese Crested Fox Terrier mix Heidi last month.
Her pet has been left traumatised after being pinned down and bitten on Victoria Road.
She says nothing has changed since despite her best efforts to ensure no other animal is targeted.
She said: “The dog is still roaming around free. If it was muzzled then it would be fine, but it’s not.
“I had to take the long way to get back home last week because I seen [the animal)] on the street.
“I don’t think there has been any action taken at all, nothing has been done.
“The council could only send me a pitiful email after a month.
Dog owner so scared she refuses to walk normal route for fear of seeing ‘out of control’ pooch
“I tried to speak to them three times about it and they couldn’t even tell me what action has been taken.
“I’m scared to go down my normal route and I don’t like walking down there on my own.
“I think there are just too many dog attacks happening in Torry, and nothing is getting done about it.
“Because the dog wardens seem to be doing nothing, it’s going to keep happening.
“It’s not fair and a shame for other people’s dogs.
“I think this type of thing is going to happen more because the city’s dog wardens are too lenient.
“These violent dogs need to be muzzled, and they need to be kept on a short leash if they can’t control it.”
‘Deeply concerning for residents and their pets’
Two other owners have also reported similar incidents, with one left with a hefty vet bill as a result.
Local Labour councillor Simon Watson said: “A number of residents have come to me with concerns about aggressive dogs over the last few months.
“This is deeply concerning for residents and their pets, and their safety has to come first.
“Where people have been threatened by dogs the police have been involved, and where pets are threatened dog wardens have been involved and can issue owners with a Dog Control Notice.
“We don’t want to see dogs removed, and I’d strongly encourage people act early and look to the SSPCA and others who offer advice on dog training.”
‘Minority’ causing havoc in Torry
Scottish Conservatives councillor for the area, Michael Kusznir, added: “Sadly there are a minority of dog owners and their dogs in Torry that are causing havoc for local residents.”
When The Press and Journal approached Aberdeen City Council regarding this incident, they claimed sufficient action had been taken.
When pushed for further information, they claimed that they could not discuss specific cases.
A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Dog Warden service has investigated this matter and taken the appropriate action.”
Police Scotland confirmed officers were made aware of the Victoria Road attack, which was passed onto the dog warden.
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