VICIOUS WHIPPET SAVAGES RUNNER GEORGE
Veteran athlete’s terror as dog attacks him on walking trail in woods – and brute’s woman owner didn’t even offer to help
A VETERAN runner was badly bitten on both arms by a whippet on a popular woodland trail.
Scottish international athlete George Sim, 67, suffered a deep wound in his right forearm.
He was recovering at home near Elgin yesterday after being mauled at about 6pm on Tuesday.
His wife Carol said: “The female owner of the whippet, who also had another two brown terrier dogs, could only say sorry. There was no offer of help.
“It’s totally unacceptable and irresponsible to allow your dog to inflict this on anyone. My husband will be on medication for a week.”
Carol said the owner was in her mid-40s, with black/brown curly hair.
She added: “If you want to own a dog, at least have the decency to have it on a lead.”
Grandfather George, a retired overhead linesman with SSE, said: “My wife dropped me off at the Quarrelwood car park near Elgin and I went for a run.
“I was coming up the walking trail in the wood and could see a female ahead of me with three dogs – two terrier-types and a whippet. I could see them bounding about off the leash about 80 yards ahead.
“The whippet turned and spotted me. It stood up and then came shooting down the hill past her, jumped at me and sank its teeth into my forearms.
“I was shouting, ‘Down’ and she was saying, ‘I’ll get it on the lead, hold on’.
“It happened so quickly – it was all over in seconds. The dog had a chest harness and she got a lead attached to it. I said, ‘Your dog’s just bitten me’. I was bleeding through my sleeves and the owner was shocked.
“I ran back to Elgin Academy, where Carol was coaching junior runners.
“She took me to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, where I got a tetanus jag and antibiotics. We contacted the police and they are looking into it.”
George, who has won medals representing Scotland and Britain at international events and is a founder of Moray Road Runners, added: “This is the fourth time I’ve been bitten in my running career but it’s the most severe.
“If I’d been out with the grandkids or some of the juniors from the running club, it would have been terrifying for them.”