Pair ordered to pay vet bills after American Bully attacked two dogs and bit woman's feet

Two people have been ordered to pay vet bills after an American Bully dog savaged a dachshund, attacked a Rottweiler and bit a woman’s feet.

Stirling Sheriff Court heard how 18-month-old Bruno escaped after being tied up outside a shop and “lunged” at Maya, the dachshund.

Prosecutor Lindsey Brooks said the unneutered American Bully took a single bite at Maya, “clamped” its jaws and refused to let go on April 19.

After watching CCTV of the attack, Sheriff Derek Hamilton described the scene, in which Bruno ran free in the centre of Stirling before its handler, Michael Myles, stood nearby, as “ridiculous”.

Passers-by and local residents ran bravely to pull the dog off the dachshund while the dachshund’s owner, a holidaymaker from Tintwhistle, Derbyshire, tried to rescue his pet.

When the bully dog eventually let go, Maya was found to be seriously injured. She was treated by a local vet and then by her own vet, with the initial bill put at £700 and further treatment costing in excess of £3,000.

Police did not seize the dog at the time, and two months later, it jumped a fence from its home in Bogside, Dunblane and got into a neighbouring garden where it attacked the four-year-old Rottweiler, Flea.

The court was shown CCTV footage of that incident on June 22, which lasted for several minutes.

Flea’s owner tried to get Bruno off her dog using a broomstick, while her adult son attempted to intervene.

Myles appeared and managed to get the American Bully back on a lead and remove it.

Flea’s owner fell to the ground in the struggle and suffered puncture wounds to the top and bottom of the middle toes on both her feet and injuries to her hand and calf, which was left bleeding.

Flea had to be treated by a vet at a cost of £137.

Police attended and the American Bully was seized and was kept in secure kennels until Sheriff Hamilton issued an order last month for his destruction.

The court heard that Bruno’s owner, Frances Robertson, 33, known as Frankie, had allowed Bruno to escape from her house while she was taking in her shopping.

Myles, 37, described as Robertson’s partner, ran after Bruno to try to bring him back but he had already entered Flea’s garden.

Mother-of-two Robertson pleaded guilty to allowing Bruno to be dangerously out of control and to bite Flea’s owner to her injury.

Myles, also of Dunblane, pleaded guilty to allowing Bruno to cause injury to the dachshund and annoyance to its owner.

Solicitor Lisa McGuigan, for Robertson, said her client had to accept she knew how dangerous Bruno could be.

Alastair Ross, for Myles, said of the Stirling incident that his client had left Bruno outside a shop and thought it was secure.

In addition to the destruction order, Sheriff Hamilton placed an immediate ten-year ban on Robertson owning dogs.

The pair were sentenced on Wednesday with Myles was fined £440 and ordered to pay £2,240 for the dachshund’s treatment costs.

Robertson was ordered to pay £137 for the treatment of Flea. She was also placed under social work supervision for 12 months with a six-month 7pm and 7am curfew enforced by an electronic ankle tag.