Owner unable to save pet from horrific attack
HE SUFFERED INJURIES FROM
A LABRADOR died after being attacked by two dogs in Sutton-in-ashfield, despite the owner’s “brave” attempts to save his pet which resulted in the owner being hospitalised.
Izzy was on a walk in Coppice Croft in October last year when she and her owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, were bitten by two English bull terriers which had escaped from a garden on Alfreton Road.
The dogs, which belong to Tomasz and Magdalena Adamowicz, have now been ordered to be destroyed by Nottingham Crown Court.
During the 20-minute attack, Izzy’s owner, who won a national award for saving a dog’s life in 1988, tried to get them off his beloved pet and knelt over her to create a shield to protect her.
However, the attack continued, despite his desperate efforts and he suffered severe bite wounds to his hands and arms as he tried to fend them off.
Nearby residents stepped in to help but to no avail, before police arrived on the scene to stop the attack.
Recalling the ‘horrors’ of the incident, Izzy’s owner said: “I’ll never forget when I put her in the back of the police car after the attack. She looked at me and I didn’t see her again. I was in hospital receiving treatment for my injuries when I was told she’d died.”
He added: “The scarring I have is a constant reminder of the horrors of the incident. When I see my scars I get vivid flashbacks of Izzy and me being pulled apart by these dogs.
“I still don’t have full operational use of my right hand which causes me difficulty to complete simple day-to-day tasks. I have been told this is permanent damage because of this incident.”
Paying tribute to his dog, he said: “I miss Izzy terribly. She was my best friend and companion. I miss the days where I would go on long walks with her. I used to walk her two or three times a day.
She was as fit as a butcher’s dog. “She was very well known and was friendly with everyone. Even the children at the local school used to know her and gave her a stroke.” Appearing at court, Tomasz and Magdalena Adamowicz, aged 41 and 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of being the person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury. They were both given eight-month prison sentences, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £4,700 compensation. Police Constable Ryan Lewis, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident for all those involved and who saw this attack which resulted in a dog dying from its injuries and her brave owner suffering severe injuries.
“The owners of these dogs were previously issued with a community protection warning in June 2020 following a report of a dogon-dog attack involving their dogs.
“They were warned to keep their dogs under control, muzzled and within the boundaries of their garden but both accepted their garden had not been properly secured since this previous incident.
“I hope the outcome of this case serves as a warning to other dog owners that they need to make sure their dogs are properly controlled and trained, to reduce the risk of incidents like this occurring. If they don’t then they could end up facing future criminal proceedings.”