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Wolverhampton dog owner to pay £5k after attack

A pit bull owner has been ordered to pay £5,000 by the courts after her pet attacked another dog in Bantock Park.

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Sharon Uppal, of Goldthorn Hill, allowed her 15-year-old daughter to walk Bruiser around the park, where he attacked a small dog called Beau.

Beau lost a leg as a result and its owner was left with vet bills totalling £5,484. Wolverhampton Magistrates Court was told yesterday how a member of the public stepped in and stopped the attack by spraying Bruiser with deodorant.

Uppal, who previously pleaded guilty to owning a fighting dog, was told to pay £4,000 towards the vet bill, as well as £1,000 for loss of earnings by Beau's owner. She was spared a banning order but a contingent destruction order was placed on the pit bull, meaning it could be destroyed in the future if a similar incident takes place.

Mr Mark Cooper, prosecuting, said: "The owner tried to protect her dog, there was a lot of shouting and screaming."

The court heard the smaller dog's owner was left scared to walk her pet again and unable to sleep at night.

Mr Cooper read from the victim's statement before Uppal was sentenced at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday.

He said: "Her dog is a very good natured animal and was happily sniffing the grass at Bantock Park. It was then viciously attacked.

"People tried to help but there seemed to be nothing anyone could do to stop the dog.

"The incident left the owner shook, she says she can't stop thinking about what happened and can't get the image out of her head.

"She says that when she thinks about it she doesn't feel like she will be able to walk her dog again and she is also concerned of what could happen to someone else if this pit bull attacks again.

"She is suffering from anxiety as a result of what happened, she has low moods and is struggling to sleep."

During the attack, members of the public tried to step in and help by kicking the pit bull and grabbing its back legs.

The court heard that this didn't stop the assault and it was only when a member of the public used deodorant on the dog that it stopped.

Uppal, who also owns a larger American bulldog, had allowed her 15-year-old daughter to walk the pit bull on the day of the attack.

She agreed that in future only herself or her husband would walk the dog.

Defence solicitor, Mr Chauhan said that Uppal was a responsible owner and looked after the dog properly.

He said: "She had the dog as a loving pet from an early age.

"She has demonstrated she is a responsible owner in the past.

"Since the incident which has come as a shock to her and the family, she has decided she would not allow the dog to be walked by anyone other than her husband or herself in future."

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