A dog walker was hospitalised for two days after being bitten on the penis by a stranger's German Shepherd, Lincoln Crown Court heard. The attack happened last July when the man was walking on a disused railway line in Lincolnshire.
The victim, who has not been named, was walking his white border terrier Bertie when the dog got involved in a "scuffle" with the German Shepherd, called Bear. As the man bent down to pick up Bertie, Bear bit him and punctured his jeans.
Injuries and medical treatment
The man later discovered he was bleeding from the base of his penis, which was swollen and bruised. He also had blood in his urine. He needed at least 10 follow-up appointments and several medical procedures as a result of the attack.
Rosemarie Grose, 67, of Stamford, Lincolnshire, admitted that her dog was dangerously out of control. She told police she did not see the attack but regained control of Bear shortly afterwards.
Court sentencing and conditions
Two canine behaviour experts ruled that Bear could be safely managed under a contingent destruction order, which allows a dog to remain with its owner subject to strict conditions. Grose was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and £5,000 in kennelling costs.
Tom Heath, defending Grose, said she was of previous good character and had no criminal convictions. He told the court: "This was a particularly unfortunate incident, perhaps not helped by the layout of the location."
Passing sentence, Judge James House KC said the consequences for the victim had been serious, but there was no evidence the attack could have been foreseen. He told Grose: "The bottom line is you are a responsible dog owner and Bear is not usually a dangerous dog."
