John Paterson from Fife has recounted the hair-raising moment an XL bully attacked him as police intensify efforts to locate the dangerous animal and its owner. On December 9, while disposing of his rubbish, John was unexpectedly mauled by the sizable dog, which clamped down on his cheek viciously.
Struggling to defend himself, he suffered injuries to his arm before finally escaping to the safety of a nearby flat’s stairwell. Following the ordeal, John required emergency treatment at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, where he was informed that the scars from the attack would be a lifelong reminder.
The incident was made worse by the fact that the menacing dog, led by a woman who couldn’t restrain it, had not been fitted with a muzzle. Recalling the terrifying incident, John said: “The dog was a massive XL Bully type dog. It was with a woman and on a lead, but it wasn’t muzzled.”
He continued describing the horrific event: “I was just taking the bins out like I do every week when it flew at me. It got up on its back legs and stood the full height of me before it latched on to my face.”
Painfully, he remembered the feeling, “It’s teeth hooked right into me. I could feel them inside my face.”
In a desperate attempt to protect himself, John added, “I put my arms up straight away to protect myself and then it slipped down and sunk it’s teeth into my arm.”
His attempts to get the owner to control her pet were futile: “I shouted at the woman to get it off me. She was trying to pull on the lead but she was physically unable to control the dog.”
John managed to break free eventually: “Eventually, I was able to get away and I ran inside the flats to call for help.”
Summing up the aftermath of his encounter with the aggressive canine, he concluded, “I was taken to AandE at Forth Valley Hospital. They stitched my face and told me I’ll be have permanent scarring.”
John has voiced his fears after a daylight attack by a vicious dog in an area frequented by local children. He is now deeply concerned that the aggressive animal could harm a child, reports the Daily Record.
He expressed his anxiety, saying: “It it terrifying that this dog is still on the loose. I am desperate for the police to trace it and woman so nobody else gets hurt.”
He added, “The police came round today but they haven’t got any updates yet.”
John hopes for a swift resolution, stressing the danger of such dogs being un-muzzled in public: “Hopefully they will catch it soon because that type of dog running about without a muzzle is terrifying.”
He described the dog as “such an aggressive, vicious creature” and warned that if it targeted someone more vulnerable, the outcome could be dire. He called for stricter measures: “More need to be done to make sure these dogs are wearing muzzles if they are out in public.”
He lamented that some owners are not taking the responsibility seriously, as evidenced by ongoing incidents.
Police Scotland is investigating the incident, with a spokesperson confirming: “Around 3.10pm on Sunday, 8 December, 2024, police received a report of a man being bitten by a dog in Toll Road, Kincardine. The man aged 39, was taken to hospital. Enquiries are ongoing.”
This incident follows the tragic death of Michelle McLeod, 41, who was killed by her American Bulldog in Aberdeen. Despite emergency services’ efforts at her Foresterhill Road home, Michelle’s injuries were fatal, and she died at the scene.
The tragedy deepened with revelations that Michelle was embroiled in legal woes due to the same animal’s previous attack on a Border Collie. The other dog’s distraught owner, Klaudia Jackowska, recalled the harrowing ordeal, saying: “I heard my partner scream. I ran out to see what was happening and I saw the dog on top of my dog” and added, “I jumped on top of it and we fought for 15 minutes to get it off my dog.”
