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Court orders Akita to be destroyed following serious attack in East Kilbride

November 2, 2010/0 Comments/in , , /by

A vicious Akita dog which broke a teenager’s arm in two places is to be destroyed and owner Natalie Burns, 23, was fined £1,000 yesterday after being found guilty of failing to control him.

An earlier trial heard the 15-year-old boy reached out to pat the dog near Main Street, East Kilbride, last May. It lunged forward and clamped its jaws around the boy’s arm, pulling it from side to side seconds after Burns warned him not to pat the dog, shouting: “Don’t touch him, he bites.”

The boy was taken to the town’s Hairmyres Hospital where he had a steel pin inserted in his arm, Hamilton Sheriff Court was told.

Charles Ferguson, defending, said Burns was a conscentious and hardworking woman. He pleaded that the dog should not be destroyed and Burns be given an absolute discharge. Burns said later: “It wasn’t the dog’s fault. He shouldn’t be put down.”

Let’s be quite clear about this dangerous dog issue. The phrase ‘dog bite’ rarely does justice to the pain and misery caused by a dog attack. The cases we deal with can involve life threatening injuries, permanent disfigurement and unimaginable pain and terror on the part of the victim. We have clients throughout Scotland who are scared to venture outdoors or afraid to let their children play in public parks because of what a dog has done to them.  

The good news is that the new Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act which comes into force next February, will cover all dogs and not just the so-called dangerous breeds. The Act is targeted at any dog which displays aggressive behaviour and places greater responsibility on owners to control their ‘pets’. This legislation is a positive step towards preventing irresponsible owners from allowing their dogs to ruin people’s lives as the full force of the law is about to come down on those people who ignore warnings and behave as if they are above the law.

If you or a member of your family has been attacked by any breed of dog you can call us FREE on 0800 163 978 for a no obligation review of case and your legal options.

Dangerous dog owners have something else in common

September 7, 2010/0 Comments/in , , /by

The owner of a dog which ripped a young girl’s face apart already had a criminal conviction for failing to control the animal.

Gaynor McCabe’s Japanese Akita savaged 10-year-old Toni Clannachan last week. The youngster needed 100 stitches and pictures of her horrific injuries shocked Scotland – but McCabe insisted the attack was out of character for her pet.

Newspaper reports have revealed that McCabe was convicted under the Dangerous Dogs Act in June 2009 after the Akita, called Kruger, attacked a springer spaniel in the street.

This follows revelations that Derek Adam, the owner of the two rottweilers that savaged 10-year-old Rhianna Kidd last Sunday was handed a court order in March this year which he ignored.

These dogs are not family pets, they are vicious out of control animals. In our opinion the new Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act cannot come into force quickly enough.

If you or a member of your family has been injured by a dog please call us FREE on 0800 163 978 for expert legal advice and a no obligation review of your case.

Third dog attack in Scotland in a week

September 6, 2010/0 Comments/in , , /by

Sadly, today’s headlines tell us that two-year-old Jemma Horn bears the scars of Scotland’s third horror attack by a dog on a little girl in a week.

She came within an inch of losing her left eye and had her nose torn when she was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Jemma was mauled as she played with her twin brother Robbie and dad Robert at a family get-together on Saturday afternoon when the terrier – called Moses – pounced as she was standing next to her dad in the garden of the home in North Berwick, East Lothian.

The attack comes just days after two 10-year-olds were savaged in separate incidents in Dundee and Kilmarnock.

Dog owner, Ann Kidd, of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, claimed the dog was trying to play with Jemma. She said: “Her dad was trying to get her to pet it and it jumped up on her to try to lick her. Its paw caught her face and cut her. I am distraught about it. I hope the wee girl is OK. It was an accident. The dog is not vicious.”

The new Control of Dogs Act, which comes into force in Scotland in February 2011, is aimed at identifying, controlling and ultimately destroying dangerous and out-of-control dogs of any breed.

If you or a member of your family has been injured by a dog please call us FREE on 0800 163 978 for expert legal advice and a no obligation review of your case.

“Killing machine” fighting dog savages 10-year-old Kilmarnock girl

September 3, 2010/0 Comments/in , , /by

In what is rapidly becoming an almost  daily occurrence in Scotland, a horrified dad told yesterday how a “killing machine” dog ripped his schoolgirl daughter’s face apart.

Ten-year-old Toni Clannachan needed more than 100 stitches and was scarred for life after the attack by the vicious Akita fighting dog in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. It came just days after another 10-year-old Scots girl was mauled by two rottweilers in Dundee.

Last night, as Toni lay in hospital, dad James Dixon said: “These dogs shouldn’t be with families or around kids. They are killing machines.”

Toni was playing in a friend’s garden when the family Akita, called Kruger, savaged her. The owner of the Akita, professional dog groomer Gaynor McCabe, has been involved in a previous dog attack.  Her own son Gabriel – whom Toni was playing with on Tuesday when the Akita attacked – lost part of an ear when her Staffordshire bull terrier went for him.

Toni had four hours of surgery at Crosshouse Hospital, two miles from her home in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Her cheek had a large hole in it and her top lip was left hanging down her face after the dog took vicious bites at her head. She has been too scared to look at her wounds and nurses have covered mirrors to shield her from the shock.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 extends the criminal liability of an owner to all places, rather than just public ones, but the legislation does not come into effect until February. We can but hope meantime that certain dog owners will become even more aware of their animals’ potential to cause harm and that they will take steps to protect the public. 

If you or a member of your family has been injured by a dog please call us FREE on 0800 163 978 for expert legal advice and a no obligation review of your case.

Rottweiler attack on Rhianna comes after owner ignores court order

September 1, 2010/0 Comments/in , /by

It has been reported today that 10-year-old Rhianna Kidd who was savagely mauled by two rottweillers in Dundee on Sunday was THE SECOND VICTIM of these particular dogs – named Big Boy and Pretty Girl – within the past 12 months.

37-year-old George Jamieson was mauled by the dogs in the city last September, suffering serious injuries to his arms and shoulders in the attack. The dogs’ owner, Derek Adam, was handed a court order in March this year and ordered to control the animals. Unfortunately for Rhianna the dogs were left to roam with tragic results.Rhianna’s local MP, Jim McGovern said: “If the dogs’ owner had been dealt with firmly this terrible incident may not have happened.”

The new Control of Dogs Act, which comes into force in Scotland in February 2011, is aimed at identifying, controlling and ultimately destroying dangerous and out-of-control dogs of any breed. Against the backdrop of these horrifying attacks and the reported huge increase in dog attacks in Edinburgh this year alone, it is clear that implementation of the new legislation cannot come quickly enough.

If you or a member of your family wishes to discuss the legal options following a dog attack, a member of Bonnar & Company’s experienced personal injury team would be pleased to meet with you for a no obligation review. You can call us FREE on 0800 163 978.