- Traumatised victim left covered in blood after horror attack in village
A woman was bitten in the face by a powerful bulldog-type dog as she tried to protect her puppy from being mauled.
The attack left the ‘traumatised’ woman covered in blood.
The woman was out with her three-month-old puppy in the village of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, yesterday morning when the incident happened.
She was treated at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride for an injury to her face and later reported the attack to the police.
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A passer-by who helped her after she had been bitten said the owner of the ‘bully, bulldog, Staffy-type dog’ was a woman who ‘just kept walking’.
The puppy was also bitten but is not thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Another dog walker who went to the woman’s aid at around 8am yesterday said: ‘She was very stressed and covered in blood. She had been bitten on the face. There was a lot of blood.
‘She said a dog had got away from its owner and had attacked the pup. She went to separate them and was bitten.’
The witness added: ‘She phoned her partner who came to take her to hospital. She was very distressed. The puppy had been bitten as well but seemed OK. The poor girl was traumatised.’
A passer-by who stopped to help posted on social media: ‘Not to add fuel to the dangerous dogs debate but just been out with the dog and met a girl who had moments before been bitten on the face by someone else’s dog while trying to protect her puppy. The owner of the dog just kept walking. Keep your eyes peeled for a woman with a bully, bulldog, Staffy-type dog.’
In a warning on social media, Bothwell Post Office said: ‘Beware. A bulldog/bully type dog got off its owner’s leash and attacked a puppy. Whilst trying to separate the dogs, the owner of the puppy was bitten in the face. Please be careful and alert all dog owners in the area.’
Police Scotland said: ‘Around 10.40am on Friday, February 9, we were made aware of a woman being attacked by a dog in the Silvertrees area of Bothwell.
‘The woman attended at hospital for treatment. Inquiries are ongoing.’