Patrols stepped up after vicious dog attack in Barkingside

REDBRIDGE council has vowed to step up patrols after a dog was attacked by two Staffordshire terriers in Barkingside High Street.

Mandalena Charalambous, of Gants Hill, was walking her two-year-old miniature pinscher, Rocky, on October 16, when the two terriers, both off their leads, approached him.

“They seemed to be playing at first,” Miss Charalambous said. “But it turned nasty. My only concern was getting Rocky away from the other dogs who were by now attacking him. All I could say to the owners was ‘leash your dogs, now’.”

Miss Charalambous took Rocky, who had deep cuts to his face, to the police station in High Street.

“I walked in with Rocky, covered in blood, under my arm. I told the officers in there what had happened and was sure that it can’t be legal to let dogs walk free like that.

“They said there was nothing they could do and didn’t know of any law saying dogs should be leashed.”

Miss Charalambous took Rocky to a vet to get him cleaned up.

“It didn’t sit right with me that there was no law against this. All I thought was ‘what if that was a child?’” she added.

Miss Charalambous was told by Redbridge’s dog warden the council can only take matters further if it witnesses the attack happening.

Redbridge’s roads, footpaths, alleyways and grass verges are covered by a dog control order, meaning dogs must be on leads at all times, which is enforced by a fixed penalty.

“What is the point in having this rule if no one can enforce it?” she said. “If Rocky had been a child, it would have been a completely different story.”

A council spokesman said: “We have spoken to the resident and agreed to increase patrols to help ensure owners are keeping their dogs on leads in this area.

“As with any order of this kind, it must be witnessed for action to be taken, however, in most cases the orders act as a sufficient deterrent.”