THE MUM of a schoolboy is urging people to keep dogs on leads after her son suffered a brutal attack by a Rottweiler.
The boy – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – suffered severe injuries after the unprovoked attack.
According to eyewitnesses, the Rottweiler ran across a main road to maul the 12-year-old.
The dog’s owner was also said to have been too scared to intervene, with the attack only ending after quick-thinking bystanders rushed in.
The boy suffered multiple puncture wounds to his left arm, and was left with nerve damage, multiple scars and a profound fear of dogs following the attack.
The dog’s owner was ordered to pay a fine, whilst the Rottweiler was ordered to be put down.
The boy was walking to meet friends when he was attacked by the the dog, which bolted across the road, nearly causing a pile up as drivers were forced to hit their brakes.
Speaking today, the victim said: “I was just walking when I heard a car horn and when I turned round the dog was on me. I don’t remember much but it was really scary.”
The attack was only stopped when nearby workers on a break rushed in to save the boy, chasing the dog away and lifting the youngster over a wall to safety.
The schoolboy stayed in the hospital for two nights after receiving surgery.
Despite the 12-week-long healing process, the child suffered nerve damage and significant scarring.
The child added: “I don’t have much feeling around the bite marks and when I touch the skin it’s like I’m touching someone else’s arm.”
The attack has left him in fear of dogs, as his mother explained: “Before the attack, my son was the biggest animal lover in the family but that’s now changed – he’s now even wary around dogs he’s known for years like his gran’s dogs.”
She is now urging owners to keep their pets on leads.
“I am a firm believer that bad dog breeds do not exist – but bad dog owners do,” she said.
“What happened could have been much worse and I hope people learn from this.”
The 27-year-old owner was prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
The Sheriff issued a £300 fine and later sentenced the dog to be put down.
The boy’s mum added: “No one wants to see a dog destroyed but the authorities must have had reason to believe there was a future risk.
“What is strange to me is people who adopt dogs from charities have to go through screening, background checks or home visits.
Yet when buying a dog privately or online, any person can buy any dog without any checks.”
