Dog is put to sleep after alleged attack

The recent incident is under investigation by Causeway Coast and Glens Council.

A spokesman for the local government authority said: “The dog owner approached the council in relation to this incident and is co-operating fully with the dog warden team.

“Following the incident the dog owner has had his dog humanely destroyed by his vet. Council continues its investigation into this matter.”

The council was responding to claims by a Mountsandel resident, who wished to remain nameless, about the incident.

“I had just parked in my normal place to take my two dogs for a walk and I saw this man with an German Shepherd-type dog and two other small dogs about 30 yards away,” explained the retired civil servant.

“I’m familiar with many people who walk the dog in this area but I didn’t recognise him and I don’t know what it was but I thought ‘don’t let the girls out’.

“I was starting to walk round the side of car when I heard the owner shout ‘watch him, watch him’. I was at the passenger door when the next thing I knew the dog had jumped on my back and got me down on to the ground. I tried to get the door open but it was locked.

“It sank its teeth deep into my left thigh but somehow I managed to get up and round to the driver’s door when it knocked me to the ground again and this time it bit me on my knee and it also sank his teeth into my lower right leg as I struggled to get free from it.

“Fortunately I got the driver’s door open and I eventually managed to get inside the car, despite the dog trying to get in after me.

“I shudder to think what would have happened if it had managed to get in.

“Thankfully, I got the door closed but the dog kept jumping at the door and window and eventually the owner arrived.”

Despite being in considerable pain and stunned by the attack, the gentleman gathered himself together before making his way to the dog’s owner who had it under control and in his car.

“He just said he was sorry,” said the Coleraine man, who then went to A&E for treatment.

He added: “A couple of the puncture wounds went down to the bone, they were very painful and quite nasty.”

Having reported the incident to police while he was waiting in hospital, the victim of the attack went to the local station where he was told that it was a matter for the dog warden with whom he subsequently raised it.