Burnfoot woman's dog 'out of control'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/news/Burnf ... 3506141.jp

A dog's life hangs in the balance after it pinned a four-year-old child to the ground and bit a postman.
Teresa Rodkiss, who owns the German Shepherd bitch, says she will pay the £252 costs to date for keeping it at an animal welfare centre while its future is considered.

Rodkiss, 35, of Ruberslaw Road, admitted being the owner of a dog which she allowed to enter a garden where it was not permitted near her home on September 23, when it jumped a fence and pinned a four-year-old child to the ground.

Depute procurator fiscal Juliet Petrusev said the four-year-old had been playing in the garden when the dog jumped the fence and pinned him to the ground.

"He was not bitten, but he had scuff marks to his back," explained Miss Petrusev.

She said Rodkiss had left her dog in someone else's care at the time of the offence.

Rodkiss also admitted being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control near her home on October 22, when it bit a postman on the hand, puncturing his skin.

"The postman was on duty at about 11am and was on his way to deliver letters when he became aware of the dog coming from a shared garden at the rear of the flats," explained Miss Petrusev. "It began barking at him and jumped up and bit him on the hand, puncturing the skin."

Miss Petrusev said the Crown moved for the dog to be destroyed.

Defending, Mark Harrower said the first offence happened when the dog was left with a teenage relative. He said the garden area was divided into two by a low fence of about 2ft high and the child had been playing in the garden.

"The child was being boisterous and the dog knocked the child down," said Mr Harrower. "While I appreciate it must have been alarming for the child and his mother, the dog didn't bite the child," he added.

Mr Harrower said the dog had been in its own garden when the second offence happened.

The postman was delivering mail and walked round the back of the houses and he came round the corner at the same time as the dog. It wasn't on a lead or muzzled, and it is blind in one eye, so may have been startled," said Mr Harrower, who opposed the Crown motion to have the 19-month old dog destroyed.

Sentence was deferred until November 29 for a report from a canine expert.

The full article contains 431 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

Last Updated: 20 November 2007 5:41 PM

[DGP1]

Put the effing owner down not the dog

[andy2007]

"The child was being boisterous and the dog knocked the child down," said Mr Harrower. "While I appreciate it must have been alarming for the child and his mother, the dog didn't bite the child," he added.

Mr Harrower said the dog had been in its own garden when the second offence happened.

The postman was delivering mail and walked round the back of the houses and he came round the corner at the same time as the dog. It wasn't on a lead or muzzled, and it is blind in one eye, so may have been startled," said Mr Harrower, who opposed the Crown motion to have the 19-month old dog destroyed.

Is this guy real?!?! Children ARE boisterous, if the dog is going to jump a Child for being boisterous, then it is a danger to the Community!

As for the second incident: The owner MUST have been aware of the dogs sight problems, and should have put a muzzle on it as a precaution.

The owner should face Jail for such irrisponsible behaviour, although I don't think that the dog should be killed, because of an irrisponsible owner. It could be properly trained, and rehomed later. This time to a responsible owner.

Does anyone know how badly the Postman was hurt?
Just saying that the dog punctured his skin, could mean anything from a minor scratch, to a serious bite. Is he ok?