Dog saved from destruction order after proving he was a good boy
A dog’s life has been spared after proving he was a good boy.
The fate of the black lurcher had been hanging in the balance after an incident at The Lounge Bar in Lerwick in 2023.
It bit another dog and then that animal’s owner when he tried to intervene.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard previously how the dog was “dangerously out of control” - and a destruction order had to be considered.
The decision was deferred last month in order for information on the dog’s temperament to be provided to the court.
That assessment, carried out by a vet where the dog now resides in County Durham, was presented to the court today (Wednesday).
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank noted the various assessments showed “no aggressive behaviour” nor any indication that the dog was “dangerous or out of control”.
Tommy Allan, acting as defence agent for the dog’s owner, said the vet’s report also showed the animal was “observed to be of good behaviour”.
Sheriff Cruickshank said he would have been obliged to order the dog’s destruction unless evidence was provided to satisfy the court the animal was “not considered a danger to public safety”.
“I’m assured by what I’ve read that it’s not necessary to proceed to order the destruction of the dog,” he said.
Turning to the dog’s owner, Barry Coutts, of Kenwood, Cunningsburgh, the sheriff dealt with the matter by way of a financial penalty.
Coutts had already admitted being in charge of the dog when the incident happened, although he later claimed it belonged to his mother.
Sheriff Cruickshank fined the 28-year-old £300.
