Six dog attacks under investigation

AN alarming six dog attacks in the past two weeks are currently under investigation by Clare’s dog warden, Frankie Coote.
Mr Coote said he would normally investigate that amount of attacks in six months, but in the past two weeks, six serious attacks have been brought to his attention. He is investigating with a view to prosecution.
“Last Sunday, a woman was walking her own small dog on a lead in Ennistymon. A stray white sheep dog with brown on his ears attacked her dog. In an effort to protect her dog, she fell over and broke her hand. The dog didn’t actually attack her, but she took a bad fall trying to mind her own dog. She was hospitalised and will have to have surgery on her hand. Her dog was injured badly too. We think he will survive but he was hurt quite badly. The stray dog is still on the loose and I’m looking for him,” Mr Coote explained.
In another incident in Ennis last Friday, a man was hospitalised after being attacked by an American Shepherd.
“There were three dogs loose. The man was bitten by one of the dogs and received treatment in hospital. Thankfully, he was not badly injured but he got a bad fright and it simply shouldn’t happen. We are investigating why these dogs were loose. These dogs have been reported to me before for a similar incident,” he added.
In another incident, a young child in Kilkee was attacked by his own family dog and was hospitalised as a result.
“Gardaí have made me aware of this case but I’ve had no formal complaint from anyone in relation to it but it goes to show that dogs need to be properly controlled, even in the family home,” he commented.
The other three cases are at a “delicate” stage of investigation, but he revealed that people received medical treatment and the dogs were not controlled when the attacks occurred.
The dog warden said he is very alarmed at the amount of dangerous dogs on the loose.
“The law states that all dogs must be on a lead when out in public at all times. Certain dogs, including German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Bull Terriers, cross breeds of these dogs and eight other breeds, must be on strong chains and muzzled anywhere in the public. I’m worried at the rise in dog attacks in the last two weeks. Normally I wouldn’t deal with six attacks in six months and this is six in two weeks,” he remarked.
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