A woman has appeared in court after her pet savaged another dog as she was being walked at an Upperthong beauty spot.
The border collie was left with a deep wound to her legs and in a nervous state following the attack in Wolfstone Heights Woods.
Maxine Rattigan admitted allowing her dog, a boerboel named Zeus, to be dangerously out of control.
Kirklees magistrates heard that other dog attacks involving the same animal had been reported.
The court was told that on October 17 the border collie was being walked by her owners in the woods when Zeus suddenly appeared and attacked the pet.
Miles Barker, prosecuting on behalf of Kirklees Council, said: “The dog was a mastiff type bred in South Africa normally.
“The dog simply flipped the border collie over onto her back and bit her hind legs.
“The owner of the other dog tried to get the dog off and it retreated for a while before turning back towards them.
“It tried to repeat the attack but the lady owner placed herself in front of the collie to try and prevent that. She was very frightened for herself and the dog.”
Magistrates were told that the couple hoped that the owner of Zeus would turn up but that didn’t happen.
Eventually, he ran off and the male owner followed him for a quarter of a mile to a 4x4 car parked near some crossroads.
Zeus was in the back of the car along with another dog, a shar-pei. The owner told Rattigan, of Birmingham Lane in Meltham, what had happened.
She replied: “Oh no, he’s done it again” and gave her contact details to him.
The collie suffered a very deep wound to her hindquarters and needed extensive medical treatment.
She had a drain fitted and had to be kept inside for a while.
Mr Barker said: “The dog was very distressed and the lady owner was in some shock.
“At one stage she was sleeping downstairs to comfort the dog.
“The other dog was totally out of control and no efforts were made to restrain it.”
Mr Barker said that the local dog wardens were aware of Zeus previously attacking other dogs. A dog control has been made to ensure that 60-year-old Rattigan keeps him under control at all times. Under the order, Zeus has to be neutered and microchipped.
Lucy Malpas, mitigating, said her client had not been familiar with the woods but stopped her car and let him off his lead for a run.
He failed to return after several minutes but, due to having severe mobility problems, Rattigan was unable to run after him.
Ms Malpas added: “Mrs Rattigan accepts she wasn’t in control of a dog acting in a dangerous manner.
“She has to accept that the dog will be psychologically affected by this.
“However she will do everything in her control to make sure nothing like this happens again.”
Magistrates adjourned sentencing until April 14 so that a full report can be prepared on Rattigan.
