Three young sisters have been left traumatised after they were attacked by a pack of dogs during a stroll at a popular rural beauty spot.
The Arnold family, of Rushton Road, Monkmoor, were on Lyth Hill last Thursday when the girls were knocked to the ground by a group of five collie dogs.
Evelyn, four, Elizabeth, three, and Victoria, two, had to scramble to safety as the dogs, who were ‘barking savagely’, came back for a second time before being fended off by their father Lawrence, who lunged at the pack to scare them off.
Mr Arnold, 41, a school governor at Crowmoor Primary School, said the dog’s owner had been standing around 50 metres away and had seemed oblivious to the incident.
He said: “The girls were holding hands together and got knocked to the ground before I could do anything about it and then I had to physically get in the way as the dogs came back again. There was a pack mentality to the dogs and I am certain they would have continued the attack if I hadn’t stepped in – the girls were besides themselves crying and screaming.”
Mr Arnold said he was furious at the owner’s reaction who reportedly claimed that the three youngsters shouldn’t have been enjoying the Shropshire countryside in the first place.
“Two or three people came up to see if we were all right and disgracefully the dog’s owner tried arguing that his dogs had a greater right to be there than the children.
“It doesn’t have to be a big dog to maul a child and this guy showed a flagrant disregard for the countryside code, people’s welfare and any responsibility to keep his animals under control. My great concern is that these dogs could do it again with far greater consequences.”
Richard Ewels, press spokesman for West Mercia Police, said: “The local policing team has been made aware of the incident. We would urge dog owners to make sure their pets are under control at all times, especially when visiting local beauty spots when other people are likely to be around.”
- Meanwhile, a baby in a pushchair was knocked over after two large dogs attacked another dog in the Quarry at around 3pm on Saturday. The dogs, similar to Newfoundlands, attacked a husky being walked by the child’s mother, and one of the dogs knocked the pushchair over. Witnesses are asked to call Shrewsbury police on 0300 333 3000.
By David Seadon