Nearly 400 NI dog attacks investigated in just three months
There have been nearly 400 dog attacks investigated in Northern Ireland across just three months of this year.
Last updated 12th Oct 2017
The shocking statistics have been revealed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, for the period of April to June.
In total, there were 198 attacks by canines on people, with a further 136 on pets.
Claire Savage was walking her dog Reuben at White Park Bay near Ballycastle in September, when another dog suddenly attacked her pet.
She said the dog looked like a Staffordhsire Bull-Terrier and it took them both by surprise.
"It came out of nowhere basically and grabbed Reuben by the throat," she said.
"It got him wrestled to the ground and for the next few minutes, it felt like ages, had him by the neck and was shaking him.
"Reuben couldn't get away."
Claire said that a man intervened to get the dog off Reuben, but then made off as soon as he had done so and she didn't get a chance to identify him.
She managed to get Reuben home and in the morning took him in to see the vet, with things initially seeming to be straightforward.
However, a few weeks later, there was a complication, with Reuben's legs giving out on one of their walks, requiring another visit to the vet.
"When I took him in, his back hind legs has stopped working," she said.
"Then in the space of a night, he was completely paralysed, in all four legs."
For Reuben and his worried owner, a long journey of rehab was about to begin.
Claire was faced with a terrible choice - pay for an extremely expensive spinal operation or put Reuben down.
She opted for the latter and once the operation had been carried out, Reuben began to make progress.
He requires acupuncture and hydrotherapy, (walking on a treadmill submerged in water), but he is back on his paws again, thanks to the innovative treatments at Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.
As for Claire, she has advised owners to make sure their dog is on a leash and if it isn't, to at least be confident it can be controlled.
"I would walk a lot on the beaches around the North Coast and I think there's a tendency of letting dogs off their leashes from locals and visitors alike, when they see that wide open space," she said.
"That's great, I think dogs definitely need off-leash exercise but I think owners need to be aware of whether their dogs are well socialised, of whether they'll come back to them if called."
Reuben faces a long journey before he is fully confident around dogs again, but in the meantime, he'll get all the attention he needs from his relieved owner.