Judge wants DVD to prove dog is safe

A district judge said he wanted to see video evidence of how safe a dog was around children before deciding what should become of the Golden Retriever who bit an 11-year-old girl last summer.

The mother of the girl who was attacked by the dog, who bit her on the elbow and four times on her back, said she did not understand why her daughter had to grow up in a neighbourhood with the dog still living there.

Judge Con O’Leary said he wanted to see evidence on DVD of the dog being walked in areas where other dogs and children were present so that he could see if steps to manage the dog since the incident were as effective as described yesterday at Cork District Court.

The five-year-old Retriever has been neutered and other measures were implemented to effect change.

Dog expert Nancy Creedon, called by the defence, yesterday reported to the court on her examination of the dog’s behaviour since the biting incident. “I believe given the management put in place the chances of this dog biting someone again are far less than the average dog on the street biting someone,” Ms Creedon said.

Last month Denise Cody of Ard Na Greine, Banduff Road, Ballyvolane, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to have effectual control of the dog on August 28, 2014. She was fined €1,250.

The matter was adjourned until July 7 to allow time for a DVD to be recorded of the dog.