Warning to dog owners (From Barry And District News)

Warning to dog owners

BARRY dog owners are being warned that they will be taken to court if they cannot control their animals - and could face hefty compensation bills.

The message from the Vale of Glamorgan Council follows the successful prosecution of a woman whose dog attacked a teenaged paper girl.

Barry magistrates ordered the dog owner to pay £500 compensation to the 15-year-old victim.

They also ordered she keep the dog controlled, including putting a muzzle on it when she took it out.

Now the Vale council is using the court case to hammer home the message to dog owners that they must take their responsibility seriously.

The prosecution was brought by the Vale council's regulatory division. Dog owner Heather Dengey, of Shackleton Close, St Athan, admitted allowing a Japanese Akita dog to be out of control.

Mohammed Yakub, prosecuting, said the incident occurred in January this year when, during the course of delivering newspapers, the girl was bitten several times on her arm.

The owner, who eventually put the dog in the house, attempted to stop the bleeding and, in apologising, said: "The dog has never done this before."

The girl needed treatment at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend.

Garth James, defending, said his client had been very upset over the incident and had offered immediate assistance and sympathy to the young girl.

The dog was always kept on a lead, he added. Unfortunately, on this occasion, his client had been trying to open her front door and had turned her back on the dog.

Mr James said Mrs Dengey would undertake to keep the dog muzzled whenever it was out of the house.