A Rottweiler who attacked a 10-year-old girl has been branded “not a safe dog” – but has been allowed to live.
Susan MacKinnon was in charge of the eight-year-old pet at her Keith home when it escaped from the garden and bit passersby on two separate occasions.
The first victim, a 10-year-old girl, was bitten on Gallowhill Terrace between April 13 and April 20 last year, Elgin Sheriff Court heard.
And less than two months later a woman suffered an “excruciatingly painful” attack by the same dog in the same street on June 19.
MacKinnon, 48, ran from the house upon hearing her screams and stated that the dog “would now have to be put down as this had happened before”.
Neighbour heard the scream
Fiscal depute Shamielah Ghafar said that woman had been out walking near the Grange area of Keith when the large Rottweiler came bounding towards her through MacKinnon’s garden gate.
“She felt an excruciating pain,” the fiscal said. “She looked down to see the dog had bit her then ran away again.
“It had bit her right hip but she didn’t think it had broken the skin at that time.
“She sat down on a neighbour’s wall as she was in a state of shock. Another witness came out to check on her having heard her scream.
“At that point, the accused came out of her house and stated that the dog would have to be put down as this had happened before.”
The woman was treated at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin and given a tetanus jab and antibiotics for the wound.
She also suffered bruising to her right hip and lower left leg.
Dog had bitten a young girl
“Police were contacted and inquiries were made,” the fiscal added. “It was discovered there had been a previous incident involving the dog and a young child which hadn’t been reported to the police initially.”
MacKinnon pled guilty to two charges of having a dog dangerously out of control in a public place.
Her defence agent Stephen Carty said his client had only been looking after the dog for a short period of time as it had belonged to her daughter.
He suggested the dog only attacked because it was in an unfamiliar place and was feeling defensive of its new owner.
‘Some degree of upset to the dog’
“Shortly after the second incident the dog was returned to her daughter and I am advised there have been no difficulties with it since,” Mr Carty said.
“I would submit that given the age of the dog and the fact it was very much out of its usual surroundings, it was being protective towards Mrs MacKinnon.
“It was not at its permanent address and that was causing some degree of upset to the dog.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood said he was in “two minds” about whether he should have the dog killed.
“It bit two people in a matter of months. This is not a safe dog,” he said.
“But given I am in two minds about getting it destroyed it’s probably not the right thing to do.”
He instead ordered MacKinnon, of Gallowhill Terrace, Keith, to pay £100 compensation to the little girl and £300 to the woman who was injured.
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