A disabled Army veteran has slammed a “culture of secrecy” after his beloved pet was savaged by another dog, leaving him with a £200 vet bill.
George MacDonald’s wife Elizabeth had her glove ripped off her hand in the attack which left her badly bruised.
The Arbroath couple say they have spent weeks trying to get answers from the police and council dog warden about what action has been taken.
However, they claim they were told the authorities cannot tell them the outcome, due to data protection issues, and say they are worried that another animal — or even a child — will be next.
Mr MacDonald said: “My wife had our 10-year-old German Shepherd Duke out on the High Street, when he was attacked by this American Bulldog type of animal.
“Duke was on a lead, but the other dog wasn’t, and during the attack my wife’s glove was ripped off her hand.
“The glove still had teeth marks on it, and although her hand was bruised, it could have been so much worse.”
He said he was thankful his wife did not need medical treatment for her wounds, but his pet was not so lucky.
“We managed to get Duke to a vet, but his treatment cost us £200,” he said.
“We also have a Yorkie pup called Freddie, and it’s fortunate that he wasn’t there too, as he could have been killed.
“It’s only a matter of time before a child is mauled in one of these incidents.”
Mr MacDonald called the police who took statements from the couple following the incident in January, but told him it was a matter for the council’s dog warden service.
Since then, the couple say they have learned the dog warden has traced the other animal’s owner but has refused to disclose the outcome of the investigation, citing “data protection” issues.
He said: “There is a culture of secrecy around this, and my perception of the case is that absolutely nothing has happened, and we feel let down.”
The former army PT instructor also criticised dog owners for not clearing up after their pets, and for dropping bags of dog mess along paths instead of disposing of it properly.
“I’m from Glasgow originally, and I love Arbroath, but if I came here on holiday, I’d see a beautiful beach, lovely cafes, but also a load of dog mess,” he said.
“It’s not a good look for visitors.”
The leader of Angus Council, independent councillor David Fairweather, described the incident as “shocking”.
He said: “I’m disappointed that the police have not been more pro-active, especially as we only have one dog warden.
“These incidents don’t just happen occasionally, there have been two dogs killed in similar attacks locally.
“This is frankly shocking attack and it’s outrageous that people have these kinds of dogs and can’t control them.”
A police spokesman said: Police Scotland can confirm it received a complaint from a member of the public in Arbroath on January 12 regarding an incident involving a dog. Angus Council subsequently dealt with the matter, and no further police action was taken.”
