A Carlisle dog owner has appeared in court after four of his lurchers attacked a fifth, which later had to be put down.
Brady Lee Underwood, 21, was exercising five animals which were off the lead and running on a cycle track off Edgehill Road in the city at around 8.15pm on July 5.
Prosecutor George Shelley told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court the lurchers — called Malt, Champ, Diesel and Strike — had set upon the other, proceeding to savagely attack it.
The shocking incident was seen by two people in nearby residential buildings and captured on mobile phone footage. “It is quite distressing,” said Mr Shelley, who opted not to play that footage in court.
Children on an artificial pitch nearby were shouting at Underwood to get the dogs off. Underwood was able to grab two dogs by their collars and drag them away to his van. He then asked a child to help as he took hold of the other two attacking lurchers and also placed them in his vehicle.
“He proceeded to try and drive away from the scene, leaving the injured dog, but was stopped by the police,” said Mr Shelley. Underwood had only acquired that dog — which was put to sleep after the incident — two weeks beforehand. There had been no issues with the other four prior to the attack.
Underwood, of Warnell Drive, Carlisle, admitted four charges of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control in an open area.
Mark Shepherd, giving mitigation, said scaffolder Underwood was a lifelong dog lover who had built five outdoor stone kennels himself for pets which were a really important part of his daily life.
“It is something that he found particularly upsetting,” Mr Shepherd told the district judge, John Temperley, of the attack. “He just asks, sir, that you accept this is a young man that made a mistake. He has learned a very, very valuable lesson from what’s taken place. He assures the court that nothing like this will ever happen again.”
Underwood had the four dogs checked by a vet in the aftermath and there had been no repeat incidents or complaints. Underwood — a man of previous good character — had retained possession of the dogs and understood RSPCA representatives who had since inspected his premises were satisfied with his ownership.
Mr Temperley accepted Underwood was genuinely remorseful. He imposed a 12-month community order and 100 hours’ unpaid work. The district judge ruled that the four dogs must now be muzzled and kept on a lead at all times in public as part of a strict requirement.
“I am told you have learned a lesson from this,” he told Underwood. “It is a tough lesson for you as a dog lover.”
