A Staffordshire bull terrier has narrowly avoided being put down after escaping from her home and attacking a woman in a Sidcup park.

Gucci, aged seven, belongs to 23-year-old Daniel Hulott who on June 2 this year allowed her to escape his Birkbeck Road home when she broke through a broken front-door pane papered over with cardboard.

After running off at around 4pm, the dog found her way to Waring Park where she attacked and bit a puppy being walked by Mary Burden on behalf of her flatmate.

In the commotion Miss Burden fell over and broke her glasses and when she got up and tried to intervene she was bitten on her right arm.

This broke the skin in two places, while Gucci also clawed at her right upper leg and right hand.
Prosecutor Jonathan Swaine told Bexley Magistrates' Court on Thursday (October 9): "Miss Burden described how the dog jumped up and in doing so bit her right arm.

"A group of boys in the park tried to distract the dog and the dog stopped and Miss Burden walked away as quickly as possible.

"The puppy was taken to the vet and it was suggested it suffered from a swollen right leg it couldn't walk on."

Mitigating, Angela Horne said Hulott is aware his dog, which he took from a friend when the animal was one-year-old, has "problems" with other dogs.

Miss Horse said: "It was hardly foreseeable the dog would jump through the glass in the door.

"Mr Hulott and his girlfriend were searching for the dog for an hour-and-a-half and they took extensive and immediate steps to retrieve her.

"The injuries, unfortunate injuries, are circumstantial to the interaction between the dogs and the aggression was displayed towards the dog rather than the person.

"She is good with children and is a loved pet and well looked after by Mr Hulott and his girlfriend.

"He understands and accepts the impact this incident has had on Miss Burden and is sorry for it."

At an earlier hearing on August 27 Hulott pleaded guilty to owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

On Thursday chair of the bench David Ely imposed a contingent destruction order, to come into affect should a similar incident happen again.

Unemployed Hulott must keep Gucci muzzled and on a lead at all times in public places and not allow her to escape his housing association property again.

He was also given a three month community order with a curfew from 8pm to 6am for seven days a week and was ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Mr Ely said: "In some respects you were lucky the puppy was with an older person and not a young child.

"This looks like an unfortunate incident and clearly you can do something about it to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"I wish you luck looking after Gucci in the future."