Children mauled by 'devil dog' are 'still suffering' after seeing pet killed

26 August 2023 , 14:07

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The mum said both of her kids were bitten by the American Bulldog named Pablo

A mum whose children were mauled by a devil dog months after it ripped off an OAP’s thumb has told how the family are still traumatised from the attack.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said her youngest son is now terrified of black dogs and he “freezes” when he sees one running nearby.

The woman, from West Lothian in Scotland, blasted an “outrageous” decision to accept a not guilty plea from the American Bulldog’s former owner, saying there has been no justice for her family. The dog attack saw both her children, then aged three and 10, injured and the family’s miniature Yorkshire Terrier Mini, two, was fatally injured during the incident on January 5, 2022.

The family had been enjoying a walk with Mini in a West Lothian park when the dog, called Pablo, who wasn’t wearing a muzzle and was off lead, pounced on them, the Daily Record reports. The mum said: “My family is still suffering. My children still remember it. My youngest son is now afraid of black dogs and freezes whenever he sees one running.

The family's miniature Yorkshire Terrier Mini suffered fatal injuries in the attack

“My eldest son still cries when he thinks about Mini or hears us talking about her. He won’t come on dog walks with us now either. At the time, he tried to pull Mini’s body out of the dog’s mouth. She was so tiny and only weighed about 1.5kg.I am very disappointed and dissatisfied with the justice system. Who is responsible for this terrible situation? No one has been punished, which is outrageous.”

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Police officers later seized the American Bulldog under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Prosecutors claimed Laura McEwan was the owner of the animal when it ran towards the three-year-old and repeatedly bit him on the body. The charge also stated that the dog then attacked Mini and failed to stop when told to do so. The beast then allegedly attacked the 10-year-old and bit him on his body to his injury.

A court has ordered that Pablo be destroyed

But her not guilty plea was accepted by prosecutors at Livingston Sheriff Court after she claimed she was no longer the owner of the dog at the time of the second attack.

The 42-year-old admitted being responsible for the dog when it attacked a 72-year-old pensioner in Blackburn, West Lothian, in July 2021. She will be sentenced at a later date. A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on a live matter that is still before the court.”

Sarah Vesty