Legal Expert Urges Dog Owners To Control Pets In Public

An expert lawyer has urged dog owners to keep their pets under proper control in public places after a Bristol man needed hospital treatment following an unprovoked attack.

Mark Burnell was taken to West Cornwall Hospital after being bitten by a ‘terrier-type dog’ on both legs while walking down a road during a family holiday in St Ives, Cornwall.

The 52-year-old, who needed his wounds cleaned and was prescribed antibiotics by doctors, has now received an out-of-court settlement of £2,500 from the dog owner after instructing expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate.

The police gave the dog owners a verbal warning to keep the dog from running loose and to ensure it was under control at all times.

Mark explained to legal experts that the attack occurred out of the blue while enjoying a stroll with his son, his son’s girlfriend and grandchildren.

He said: “A small terrier came running from a house and latched onto my right leg, after a struggle I managed to get it off but on doing so, it then got hold of my left leg. Eventually the owner came running over and managed to pull the animal off, I was in shock and began to walk off but returned to take the owner’s contact details.

“I went back to my hotel but on seeing how serious the wounds were, I asked a friend to take me to hospital.

“I have been lucky that I am not left with permanent scarring but for a month or so after the attack I was in a lot of discomfort with both legs swollen and very sore – it was a terrible experience and such a shock.”

Katrina Elsey, a public liability expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Dog owners are urged when out and about in public places to keep their dogs under proper control.

“Dog bite injuries can have devastating effects, very often leaving not only scarring but psychological injuries which causes a huge amount of distress for victims.

“We are pleased for Mr Burnell that we managed to successfully conclude his case and we hope that he can now look to put the distressing ordeal behind him.”