Kildare woman's dog needed 40 stitches 'after Rottweiler bite'
Claim
A dog needed 40 stitches after it was attacked by another described as a part Rottweiler, it’s been claimed.
The owner of the Rottweiler, Ultan Smyth, 54, whose address was given as 11 The Avenue, Loughbollard, Clane, appeared before Naas District Court.
He is being prosecuted for allegedly making a threat to kill and attempted burglary at an address in Loughbollard on January 9.
Garda Shane Smyth said that when charged after being arrested, the defendant replied “untrue” to both allegations.
The garda said he objected to bail being granted because of the seriousness of the charges and the possibility of interfering with witnesses.
Garda Smyth said he went to the defendant’s house to serve a notice following a report that a Rottweiler had bitten a neighbour’s dog.
The other dog, described as a terrier type animal, sustained a very serious injury. He said the dog would need long term treatment.
When the garda went to the defendant he was told to “f… off with myself”.
He said the defendant went to the woman dog owner’s home, had an aggressive manner and said to her “you're a c…, you’re a tramp, you’re dead.”
The garda said he was threatened with the Rottweiler and ”there was a stand off” for an hour.
“Every time we tried to talk to him he threw it back in our faces.”
The court heard a claim that when the defendant went to the woman’s home he tried to open a sliding door.
Gda Smyth said he told him not to call to the women’s home but he still did so when the notice was served.
The woman claimed that the defendant kicked in her back gate.
Referring to the attack on December 19, she said she picked up her dog because she felt the Rottweiler might attack and the Rottweiler grabbed her dog by the thigh.
Asked about her dog’s condition by the judge, she said it was “touch and go”.
Cross examined by solicitor Joe Coonan, she said the dog was unleashed and unmuzzled.
The defendant told the court that if granted bail he would not reside at his address but in Kilmeague, 20 kilometres away.
The court heard he is receiving social welfare and is his mother’s (aged 80) sole carer.
He described his dog as a mongrel and not a full Rottweiler. The dog was aged 18 months at the time of the attack.
Judge Desmond Zaidan said it may not be a good reflection on the defendant for his dog to behave like that. “Either he is vicious or he’s not being trained properly but nobody knows the mind of a dog," he said.
He refused the initial bail application.
A subsequent hearing was told that the dog, named Rocco, had been sold to Northern Ireland and the judge commented he would need confirmation of this and “I’m sure the gardaí will delve into it.”
He said the animal should not be in Loughbollard and if it was it could be impounded.
He said the Northern Ireland owner should know of the dog’s history.
“I don't want to put any animal down, it may be possible to solve the issue with training."
The case was adjourned to February 21 for directions from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions after Sgt Mary Meade said these were still not available.