A dog owner whose American Pitbulls savaged a Border Collie in Fife has been fined £150.
Jessica Sommerville, 34, had the dogs off-lead in a garden area outside a block of flats in Malcolm Road, Glenrothes, when they attacked the two-year-old pet.
Sommerville appeared from custody at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to being in charge of two American Pitbulls which were dangerously out of control by attacking another dog to its injury on October 19 2022.
10-minute attack
Prosecutor Matthew Knapp said it was about 7pm when a woman was out with her mother’s two-year-old Border Collie and went to the block of flats via the back entrance.
She opened the gate and went into a back garden area, where there were two large American Pitbulls, without leads, which approached her dog.
Sommerville was seen in the garden with the dogs.
The fiscal depute said the Pitbulls attacked the Border Collie and the woman tried to separate the dogs to stop the attack.
Mr Knapp said: “The struggle lasted for around 10 minutes and another witness had to intervene, coming down from the flats to get the two Pitbulls off”.
He said one of the Pitbulls had a “neck grip” on the Border Collie.
An emergency vet was contacted after the other dogs were taken off and back inside the flats.
The woman appeared to have some marks on her from trying to separate the animals.
Mr Knapp said the Border Collie underwent surgery and was prescribed medication.
Police spoke to Sommerville and gave her advice about keeping dogs and told her there would be enquiries into the incident.
Dogs euthanised
Sheriff Steven Borthwick asked if the Pitbulls remained in Somerville’s care afterwards, to which the fiscal replied: “That’s my understanding.”
However, defence lawyer Calum Harris said his client took the decision to have the dogs euthanised after a subsequent incident, details of which were not given in court.
He said the attack took Sommerville by surprise.
She has owned dogs in the past, had this pair for more than a year and up until the this, they were well socialised.
Sheriff Borthwick fined Sommerville £150 but said he did not consider it necessary to ban her from owning dogs in future.
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