Horror of dog’s cemetery attack (From Keighley News)

Horror of dog’s cemetery attack

8:00am Thursday 30th October 2008 in Keighley By Alistair Shand

A woman has hit out at a callous dog owner who left her husband sprawled on the ground suffering from a heart problem.

Ian Aggus fell to the floor as he tried to defend his young cavalier spaniel from an attacking pit bull-type terrier.

The ordeal sent the 54-year-old’s heart into an irregular beat. And his disabled son, Jack, 15, who was with him, was left in shock.

The incident happened at about 4pm on Sunday as the pair walked their dog, Arthur, in the grounds of Oakworth Cemetery.

“My husband saw the pit bull and told Jack to reel Arthur in on his lead — which he did — but the pit bull jumped on our dog’s back and tried to bite his neck,” said Anne Aggus, 55.

“Ian managed to kick off the pit bull but as he turned he tripped and fell and the animal came back to attack him. The pit bull’s owner called the dog and it disappeared, otherwise who knows what may have happened.

“The man must have seen Ian on the ground and in distress and Jack frozen with fear, yet he just left them there — how could anyone be so callous?”

She said her husband had a heart condition and the shock had affected the beat — he had to take urgent medication to combat the problem.

Jack was not physically injured but was traumatised. “I usually walk the dog with Jack but on this occasion it was my husband. I have MS and I wouldn’t physically have been able to fight off the pit bull,” said Anne, who lives in Oakworth.

Arthur was checked over by a vet and was physically unhurt The RSPCA told the KN a pit bull terrier was among four breeds covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The dogs should be registered, neutered, muzzled when in a public place, identified by tattoo and microchip and insured..

A spokesman added: “The RSPCA is unable to comment directly on this incident. Nonetheless, in similar circumstances where an owner of a dog is aware of it having aggressive tendencies and a propensity to attack other animals, they could be deemed guilty of an offence for failing to control their dog properly.