Bike owner, 88, had blood gushing from leg after horror canine attack by bulldog that beforehand sparked probe

An elderly girl was hospitalised with intense ache and blood gushing from her leg after she was attacked by a canine whereas out on a walk.

88-year-old bike owner Susan Greene tried to cycle home together with her bleeding accidents to attempt to escape the animal, till a passerby seen and drove her to the hospital. Susan had been out for a walk alongside a public footpath in Clifton Maybank, Dorset, at round 5.30pm on April 16, 2023.

As she returned to her bicycle, she felt a chunk to her decrease leg, adopted by intense ache and blood loss. The canine concerned, an old English bulldog Yogi, was already below a management order on the time for a seperate biting attack in October 2022. She spent 4 days in Yeovil Hospital, the place she was handled with a tetanus injection earlier than being referred to Salisbury for potential cosmetic surgery.

Yogi’s proprietor, Graham Habberfield, was required to maintain the canine below management and put up warning indicators on the property, which he had did not do. The 62-year-old claims to have secured Yogi and three different dogs earlier than leaving to work on the farm, however stated the canine should have escaped.

Mitigating, Richard Tutt, stated Yogi might have escaped resulting from a badger run discovered afterward the farm. He added Yogi had puppies with one other canine two months earlier than the primary biting incident, which can have made the canine overprotective.

Owner Graham has since taken Yogi to a canine kennels, the place Dorset Police dogs are educated, the place there was “no issues”. His daughter, Natalie Habberfield, who’s “besotted” by Yogi stated the canine could be very affectionate and her nine-year-old daughter’s “best friend”. She added: “If I felt Yogi was any hazard, I’d take him to the vets myself and have him put to sleep.”

Photos of Susan’s accidents had been described by Judge Robert Pawson as “three very serious injuries and bruising”. He added the sufferer have to be of very sturdy and flagrant character to have tried to cycle home. Dorset Police canine professional, Susan Hillier, added the incident rated a degree 5 on the Dunbar canine chunk scale – with six being deadly.

Graham Habberfield pleaded responsible to being answerable for a canine dangerously uncontrolled inflicting harm. The 62-year-old was sentenced to 10 months in jail, suspended for 2 years, and made to pay £4500 in compensation. Judge Pawson additionally ordered the destruction of Yogi, including it was not punishment however for public security.