A man has been charged by police in connection with an alleged dog attack in Perth.
William O’Donnell will stand trial next month, accused of allowing a bull mastiff-type dog called Nikita to bite and injure a woman’s pet lurcher.
Prosecutors say the incident happened in the city’s Wallace Court in December 2019.
O’Donnell, 47, denies the charge.
It is alleged that, while he was the owner in charge of the dog, Nikita was “dangerously out of control” and “unsupervised, untethered and unmuzzled”.
It is alleged the dog ran towards Claire Woods, who was walking her lurcher on a lead.
The charge against O’Donnell states Nikita repeatedly bit the lurcher on the body to its injury and struggled violently with Ms Woods.
It alleges Ms Woods was “placed in apprehension of injury”.
O’Donnell, who stays at the city’s Greyfriars Hostel, is accused of failing to intervene or commanding his dog to desist throughout the attack.
He faces an alternative, similarly worded charge of being in charge of the dog and allowing it to cause a danger or injury to, or to give reasonable cause for alarm and annoyance, to Ms Woods while she was in a public place.
The case called in O’Donnell’s absence at Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday.
Solicitor John McLaughlin confirmed his client pleads not guilty and was prepared for trial on August 3.
