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Magistrates were told the victim of the attack, who had been dragged to the ground, was left terrified and injured in the middle of the road, and the incident has heightened her fear of dogs.
The owner has now been sentenced – and has been spared jail.
An order has been made for the dog to be destroyed.
Kirsty Salter, aged 37, of Queens Walk, Lyme Regis was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court for one count of owning/being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
The attack happened on November 4, 2024, when Noreen Mugarisanwa, was walking in Queens Walk on her way to work when two dogs came running towards her.
Ms Mugarisanwa, aged in her 40s, was dragged down by her right arm by the dog named Tank, receiving bites and scratches on her legs and arms as she tried to cover her face.
Tank was described as a light brown Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross and after it had fled, Ms Mugarisanwa was left in the middle of the road.
The second dog was being looked after by Salter but did not belong to her. It has since been removed from her care and control.
It was heard that a man who was driving a van in the area shouted “come to me, run run”.
The dogs reportedly ran off after the shouting.
Charles Nightingale, prosecuting, said: “She [was] saved in a way because a Royal Mail delivery person became involved and the dogs ran into an address.”
Ms Mugarisanwa was treated for her injuries and prescribed antibiotics.
Mr Nightingale said she suffered ‘significant’ pain in her legs’ and that the incident was “traumatic and has heightened her fear of dogs.”
Prior to the incident, Salter already had a dog behaviour contract in place, ordering her to keep Tank under control, the court heard.
On a previous occasion, it had escaped with another dog and barked and nipped at people before being chased off with a broom.
Salter previously plead guilty and appeared emotional when she appeared for sentencing.
Kenneth Sharpe, mitigating, said she did not see the incident and in the six years she had had the dog, he had “never displayed aggression around her children.”
He said: “She expresses her apologies. She acknowledges the victim likely felt terrified.”
It is believed the dog escaped after one of her children left the garden gate open.
Mr Sharpe said that Salter had been candid about disclosing issues with alcohol.
After a long period of deliberating, magistrates gave Salter a custodial sentence of 12 months suspended for 12 months, and ordered her to undertake 120 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months
She was also ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to Ms Mugarisanwa and kennel costs of £17,000.
She is also banned from owning and looking after any animals for the next five years.
Robert Ford, chairman of the bench, told the defendant: “It is not enough to say that the child might have left the door open.
“The consequences for the victim could have been far, far worse.”
Magistrates made an order that the dog, Tank, be destroyed unless an appeal is lodged within a certain time period.
