“All I heard was ‘No, No, No!’ It went for her throat and locked its teeth onto her. The screaming and howling was horrendous.”
These are the words of partially-sighted Andrea Barclay, who told of her horror when her beloved guide dog Cara was ravaged by a dog let off its lead.
The savage attack left poor Cara bleeding with severe puncture wounds to her neck, needing a month off work and a course of antibiotics to aid her recovery.
And without her faithful companion to guide her on trips out and about, Miss Barclay was also rendered practically housebound until Cara recovered.
She recalled the horrific experience as Police Scotland launched a new campaign aimed at cutting the number of such incidents.
There has been more than one a month since January last year.
But since a change in the law in 2014, owners can now be charged if their dog attacks an assistance dog.
Miss Barclay was born with uveitis, an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, and has lost all sight in her left eye. She will also fully lose vision in her right eye eventually and has been relying on Cara, and her new guide dog Yaris, since 2008.
The 45-year-old, who used to work in finance for an oil company, is bringing attention to the issue of guide dogs being attacked in the wake of a police campaign to get owners to keep their dogs on leads.
Recalling the 2011 attack, Miss Barclay said: “It was in Aberdeen. We were going down George Street and onto St Andrews Street near the Hilton Hotel.
“We were crossing the road at the traffic lights. We got across the first part and were waiting at the island bit getting ready to cross the next part when I could just about make out a chap coming towards me. He had a little dog. I think it was a Staffy.
“All I heard was ‘No, No, No!’ It was coming towards Cara.
“It went for her throat and locked its teeth onto her. The noise coming out of her was horrendous. “She was screaming and howling, really high pitched.
“I was almost dragged to the ground as I tried to hold onto Cara and this man was using both hands to try and get his dog off her but he couldn’t do it.
“Eventually the dog let go of her. The man said sorry but then he just walked off and left us there. I was so upset.”
She added: “A member of the public came over to help. I was trying to find my phone. I had to get this lady to dial a friend to come and pick us up.
“We took Cara to the vet. She had some puncture wounds to her neck. I phoned the police but they said there was nothing they could do because it was a dog on dog attack. I remember feeling terrible.
“They told me to phone the dog warden. Initially they weren’t going to come and take a statement because I couldn’t give a clear description due to my eye condition. I pushed for it and they did come round in the end. The man was tracked down and he was known to them. He had been served with a dog control notice before.”
Fortunately, following a course of antibiotics, a month’s rest and love from Miss Barclay, Cara recovered. But it left her owner, from Bucksburn in Aberdeen, feeling like a prisoner in her own home as she had no guide dog to help her out.
Miss Barclay added: “Cara is a confident dog, but she’s very submissive. She’s just a really lovely dog.
A lot of dogs might not have got over the attack, but she is a bit of an alpha female. She’s no wimp.
“I couldn’t go out unless a friend or someone could come and take me. It completely knocked my confidence. I was nervous to go out. It was a horrible time. I was just stuck in the house relying on friends, worrying that my dog might not recover properly. Cara wasn’t too bad, but it just gets you worried that something like that could happen again.
“Shaun (Miss Barclay’s partner) was working in Dubai at the time. I didn’t leave the house at all for the one week. I got Tesco delivered to my door, I just couldn’t face it.
“It’s always there in your mind. The scary thing is you just can’t see it coming. It’s almost on top of you before you even know where you are.
“I don’t think this area is particularly bad for people walking their dogs without leads, but I have come across a few in the George Street area. Normally their owners are young men.
“Even now if I think I can see a dog coming towards us I get nervous. “
Cara, who is now 11, helped Miss Barclay “get her confidence back” after she had to quit her job due to her condition worsening. Now she is able to go out and volunteer for Guide Dogs Scotland and Garioch Community Kitchen in Inverurie.
She said: “It was tough when I had to stop working. Everyone you know works and you don’t get to see people. My eyesight got so bad that I didn’t want to go out anyway. Everybody would just be rushing towards me and I’d have to get out of the way. People are in such a rush. Cara gave me my confidence back because I could go out and about more.
“After Cara was attacked, a worker from Guide Dogs Scotland came and supervised us to make sure she was still able to do the job properly. Luckily she was okay and was able to help me for a bit longer.”
Chief Superintendent John McKenzie, Police Scotland Safer Communities, urged owners to take responsibility for their pets. He said: “As a nation of dog lovers, no-one wants to hear of an animal being injured, let alone a highly trained assistance dog which offers a lifeline to its owner.
“It is the responsibility of the dog owner to ensure an animal in your care is under control at all times, whether that’s in a public space, such as a park, or in a private are, like a garden.
“Police Scotland is committed to raising awareness of the issue of attacks on assistance dogs and the traumatic effects of these incidents, some of which can be felt years down the line.”
During an animal’s lifetime, Guide Dogs Scotland pay around £50,000 to £60,000 including training fees – a sum which goes to waste if a dog is stopped from working by an attack.
Miss Barclay’s advice is simple.
“I would just say to people to keep their dogs on a lead,” she said. “Everybody that has one has a responsibility to keep it under control and make sure it is properly socialised with other dogs. There is no need for a dog to be aggressive.
“There is more awareness of this now. I don’t think it was taken very seriously before. This is happening a lot.
“I would recommend people who use guide dogs to also keep using your long cane. A lot of people stop using it when they get a dog, but if your dog can’t work you’ll need it to get around. It’s not just like you can get another dog straight away.”
The numbers
Police records show just how common it is for assistance dogs to be attacked in public by other people’s pets.
From January 2016 until September this year, 25 dogs from Guide Dogs Scotland were attacked by other canines.
Nine animals had to undergo vet treatment, leaving their owners without their lifeline support during the recovery period.
Of the 22 aggressor dogs, 22 were not on a lead or tied up in when the incidents occurred, with all but one of the attacks happening in a public place.
Four people were also hurt in the attacks while 19 owners were left emotionally affected.
Making owners aware
To make owners aware and encourage them to make sure dogs are on leads, a video featuring guide dog owner Elaine Mackenzie has been released. In it she recalls the time her dog Una was attacked while they were out shopping.
She said: “I can only liken the noise she made to that of a screaming child, she was in so much distress. Shop staff tried to pull the attacking dog away but it was relentless. Una bled a lot and had several puncture wounds in her chest.
“For two weeks after the attack, I couldn’t get out and about with Una. My independence was taken away. It then took two months of gentle, patient work, with the support of Guide Dogs staff, to get Una back to working confidently.”
She added: “Fortunately, she recovered, but it took quite a long time for us both to get enough confidence to get out and about like usual.
“If that attack had been any worse Una may not have been able to work again and my mobility would be gone. Una was still suffering after-effects from the attack for some time and was hesitant about going into the store again.”
Niall Foley, Guide Dogs Scotland’s Engagement Manager, said: “An attack on a guide dog can be devastating for the owner and their dog. It can leave someone with sight loss traumatized, isolated at home and robbed of their independence and freedom.
“We urge all dog owners to be responsible when they meet guide dogs and other assistance dogs. We welcome Police Scotland ensuring their officers are aware of the serious effects of an attack on an assistance dog, and their commitment to keeping our guide dog owners safe.”