A pair of Angus dog owners have been given a warning after their pet injured a woman in an “unprovoked attack” on a coastal route.
Dr Andrina McCormack needed 15 paper stitches in her arm after a morning walk on Saturday went wrong.
The 62-year-old psychologist, who is from Monifieth, was walking on the Barry to Carnoustie cycle path when the incident with the collie-type dog occurred.
She said: “I was walking along, talking to a friend. I said ‘good morning’ to the dog owners as I passed and within two seconds I had a very large bite out of my arm.
“It was a totally unprovoked attack. It all happened so fast.”
Dr McCormack, who practises in Broughty Ferry, was helped to Carnoustie Golf Hotel before she was taken to Arbroath Infirmary.
Staff gave her a tetanus and warned her about the possibility of a permanent scar.
Dr McCormack added: “When I looked at my arm, I thought it looked like such a mess. The skin had all rolled in on itself.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed they had received reports of the incident and that a dog owner had been traced by officers and given a warning.
“Where I was bitten on the arm, that could have been the height of a child’s face, or worse, their throat,” Dr McCormack added.
“Fortunately none of that happened. The main issue with the whole thing is about responsible dog ownership and potentially what the after effects could be if a dog is out of control.
“It happened so fast and it was totally unexpected.”
Kim Hamilton, animal charity Blue Cross chief executive, said: “An early preventative strategy would educate dog owners, helping to improve their pets’ behaviour and knowledge of their responsibilities.
“Without tackling this problem, the reputation of some dog owners, and the breeds of dogs they choose to own, will continue to suffer.”