Dog Defends Owner Against Attacker
A man described in The Independent as a pervert made an obscene suggestion to a lady walking her dog in the park and was attacked by the lady’s Alsation.
The dog reportedly sunk his teeth into the man’s forearm after he lunged at the dog’s owner, a lady in her forties. The alsation let go of the man once the alsation’s owner, who had run away at this point, called the dog off.
The attack took place on Sunday evening in a local park in the Harrowgate Hill area in Darlington, in County Durham.
A spokesperson for the police, PC Astrid Chapman said:
“The lady let the dog off its lead and was watching him as closely as she could in the dark when she became aware there was someone behind her. She turned around and saw a man directly in front of her. He moved his arms suddenly, but she can’t say if it was an attempt to grab her.
“He then made an obscene suggestion. He made it with such aggression that the victim was rooted to the spot with fear. At that point the dog, which is extremely protective of its owner, started barking and growling and baring its teeth.
“The dog then lunged at the man and clamped his jaw around his right forearm. He held him despite the man’s violent attempts to shake it free.”
As the man struggled to free himself from the alsation, the lady ran away and once she had reached a safe distance, she called her dog. Her dog released the attacker who ran away in the opposite direction.
Since the attack, police have monitored health centres and hospitals for anybody who might come forward looking for treatment for a dog bite.
The man was described as being in his thirties, white, of stocky build and his height as between 5 ft 8ins and 5ft 10ins. At the time, he was wearing a padded, dark jacket and a dark, woollen hat.
PC Chapman continued:
“The woman was unhurt but extremely shocked and upset by this. At the point of confrontation the man’s eyes were described as being extremely wide and bulging. We have been making inquiries at local doctor’s surgeries to see if anyone has sought treatment for injuries like the ones this man would have sustained. We would like to hear from anyone who would be able to identify this man, or who might have seen him in the area immediately before or after the incident.”
