A sheriff has ordered a man to pay more than £2,000 in compensation after an American bully dog viciously mauled a Daschund in Stirling city centre.
Michael Myles left the powerful animal loosely tied up outside a shop before it pounced on the much smaller pet.
The Daschund’s owners were on holiday in the area and looked on with horror as the bully left the other dog severely injured.
Just weeks later, the American bully – owned by Frances Robertson – jumped free from a garden in Dunblane and attack a Rottweiler, with its owner suffering bite wounds.
A sheriff previously ordered the dog be destroyed.
Both Myles, 37, and Robertson, 33, were sentenced after previously pleading guilty to separate charges at Stirling Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Derek Hamilton said: “I accept that this dog was not the dog that’s now been decided it’s no longer appropriate to have in this country without permits but it was one of these powerful dogs that once it gets on top of someone, it doesn’t let go.”
Fiscal depute Lindsay Brooks previously played footage of both incidents to the court.
In the Stirling attack on April 19 last year, witnesses on Station Road could been seen rushing to try to pull the attacking dog by its back legs.
Ms Brooks said the attack took place in front of the Dachshund’s owner, who was with his wife and young children.
She said: “He describes it as a single bite, clamping down and refusing to let go.
“He tried to support his dog while trying to remove it from the other dog.”
The court heard how the vet and insurance costs totalled £2,245.
Myles’ solicitor, Ken Dalling, said: “He had thought he had secured it but did not secure it well enough.
“Mr Myles is very sorry he didn’t try hard enough to ensure this incident did not happen.
“He is ashamed by the fact this dog was hurt and can fully empathise with the owner of the dog.”
Footage also showed the dog, owned by Robertson and in her care, jumping a fence on Bogside, Dunblane, in June to get at a Rottweiler in a neighbour’s garden.
Ms Brooks said: “She suffered injuries whilst trying to protect her dog. She was bitten on the left and right foot, causing puncture wounds.
“Her Rottweiler was injured as well – there was a veterinary bill of £130.
“The (American Bully) was seized at this point and taken to kennels.”
Police investigated whether the dog was an XL Bully but a vet later ruled it was too small to qualify as one of the banned breed.
Solicitor Virgil Crawford, representing Robertson, said: “The dog jumped over the fence in the back garden and accepted the dog was in her care.”
Sentencing
Sheriff Hamilton said: “Anyone who owns a dog like this has to understand if they let it get out of control there will be consequences.”
Robertson, who was reprimanded for interrupting and making facial expressions, was placed on supervision for 12 months and made subject to a six-month restriction of liberty order keeping her indoors between 7pm and 7am.
She must also pay £137 in compensation.
Myles was fined £440 on top of a total compensation order of £2,240 – £200 of which will go to the dog’s owner.
That order was imposed as an alternative to custody.
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