A church minister whose rescue dog called Faith sank its teeth into an elderly parishioner has been ordered to pay her compensation.
Rev Heidi Hercus’ “wolf-like” pet lunged for the 75-year-old woman, who was delivering a food parcel, and bit her on the body.
The Ullapool Church of Scotland minister told Inverness Sheriff Court the “awful incident” had resulted in Faith – a Sarplaninac shepherd – being rehomed.
Hercus, 47, represented herself at court today and pleaded guilty to a single charge of having a dog that was dangerously out of control.
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph said the incident occurred at around 11am on January 14 2021 at Hercus’ Royal Park home in Ullapool.
She said the victim noticed the “wolf-like” dog standing behind the minister in the moments before the attack.
Minister’s ‘wolf-like’ dog bit woman
“All of a sudden the dog pushed its way past the accused and lunged for the witness. It jumped on her and knocked her to the ground,” said Mrs Ralph.
Fearing Faith was going for her head, the pensioner raised her arm to protect herself and the dog sank its teeth through three layers of clothing and got “a good grip”.
The dog eventually released its jaw and ran off.
The shocked parishioner checked for wounds and found three or four bite marks under her right armpit and chest.
“The skin was broken and there was blood where it had been broken,” Mrs Ralph added.
The woman sought medical treatment and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics as a precaution.
The court heard that when police were called and spoke to the minister – who was appointed to the Lochbroom and Ullapool Church in 2018 – she informed them it was her intention to have the dog rehomed.
Minister’s dog was ‘gentle’ to family
Speaking from the dock, Hercus said it had been an “awful incident”.
In papers submitted to the court she described how Faith had been a “gentle dog” to her and her family.
“When we got Faith we were aware that we would need some behavioural training for her,” Hercus said, explaining that she had been unable to access this because of Covid restrictions.
She told the court: “She was fine with people outside but she was always protecting myself, my child and my husband.”
The minister said she had paid for a courier to take the dog to a training assessment centre following the incident and had covered the cost of its board there.
She had even paid extra for chicken for Faith’s meals as this was all she liked to eat. The total cost to her for this was £730.
“It broke our hearts to move her on. We did feel with training she would become a lovely pet,” she added.
‘Clearly a distressing incident’
When questioned by Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald on her interactions with the woman since the incident Hercus told the court that she remained an active member of her congregation.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told the minister: “Mrs Hercus, you have responded to the incident correctly in having the dog removed and retrained.”
She admonished Hercus, of Royal Park, Ullapool, and ordered her to pay £250 compensation to the woman saying. “Clearly it was a distressing incident which resulted in her injury.”
Both Hercus and the parishioner declined to comment following the case.
