A Stirling woman who was attacked by a dog says owners are to blame – not the breeds.
Carol Hopper, 35, and her own dog, Hicks, were both attacked near Stirling Old Bridge on Monday afternoon.
Carol’s hand was bitten as she tried to protect Hicks and another puppy from the Collie-type dog.
Police are now investigating the incident.
Carol has been a dog walker for 15 years and says aggressive dogs are a product of their owner, not their breed.
Recalling the attack to The Courier, she said: “I immediately recognised it as the same dog that attacked Hicks back in November.
“I tried to get both (the dogs) out of view but it was too late – the dog had already seen them and charged.
“I knew what was going to happen. I managed to get my client’s puppy out the way, that was my priority.
“The dog went straight for Hicks and was trying to rip chunks out of him.
“I went to try and grab its collar but it snapped round and ripped open my finger.
“At that point, I managed to get hold of it and haul it away to stop it biting us all.
“I could hear the guy shouting on his dog before he came running after us.
“He had the audacity to tell us that the dog was on its lead – as he was clipping it on.
“He started thumping his dog and wandered off without an apology or anything.”
‘Don’t blame the breeds – blame the people’
Carol says her Border Collie cross has had hundreds of hours of training, and that breed-specific blame is unfair.
She added:Â “I’m sick to death of hearing people blaming the breeds.
“There’s nothing wrong with the breeds – it’s the people.
“It’s horrible because I know what’s probably going to happen to that poor dog now, and that’s why I spent nearly an hour educating the owner last time.
“I had an eight-month-old puppy with me – if it had got hold of him, I can’t even begin to imagine how my client would’ve felt.
“It’s so unacceptable that dogs are suffering because of owners.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of a dog attacking a woman and another dog on Bridgehaugh Street, Stirling around 6.40pm on Monday.
“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and are at an early stage.”
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