Destruction order for dangerous dog which bit two police officers

Black labrador Candy bit one officer on the left arm leaving bruising in several places and then bit a second officer on the calf and thigh leaving three puncture wounds.

Owner Elizabeth Percival did not oppose the destruction order, but she no longer has the animal after it escaped when floods brought down a garden fence at her home.

Candy went missing in December and, despite online appeals for information on his whereabouts, no-one has responded. There was another complaint about the dog on the day it disappeared.

Prosecuting, Mr Stephen Davies said Police Community Support Officers 8194 Hughes and 8052 Davies were conducting routine enquiries on September 19.

They went to Broadway in Llandrindod and PCSO Hughes was standing 10 metres from Percival’s house, Arlais. PCSO Davies was behind.

The 41-year-old asked her daughter to pass her a mobile phone. The daughter opened the door and three labradors ran out barking and snarling.

Percival was shouting ‘I told you not to let the dogs out’.

The dogs ran towards the officers and were jumping on them. PCSO Davies was shouting at the dogs and was telling Ms Percival to get them under control, when PCSO Hughes felt a sharp pain to her arm. Candy had his jaws around the officer’s arm for about three seconds but it hit immediately and the arm began to sting.

Incident

PCSO Davies then felt pain to his left calf and thigh. He suffered three puncture wounds to the leg.

Mitigating, Mr Owain Jones said Ms Percival had four dogs but Candy was the one that had bitten.

Ms Jones said: “The dogs are Candy, Chip, Cookie and Shadow, Candy and Chip are pups from Cookie and Shadow. Chip and Shadow are now with her ex-partner Roger and so only Cookie is in Elizabeth’s care and he has been no trouble.

“Since this incident with the PCSO’s, Ms Percival had put a muzzle on Candy and had put different gates in place.

“There was a further incident in December, which has not caught up with these cases. It involves Candy and it was on the day that he went missing.”

He said Ms Percival is the sole and primary carer for three children.

Magistrates placed Percival on a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. They awarded £100 compensation to each of the PCSOs who were bitten.

A destruction order was made for Candy, if the dog is found and identified by the police, and Percival will have to pay any costs.

But they did not ban Percival from keeping other dogs although they recommended that she limits the number she has.

She was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £90 surcharge.