Fine for owner of restricted breed after portion of man's finger was bitten off during dog attack at Cork's Lee Fields

A portion of a 63-year-old man’s finger was bitten off by a restricted breed American Akita dog which broke free and first attacked the dog the injured party was walking at the Lee Fields in Cork.

19-year-old Jack Scully of Monastery Close, Monastery Hill, Blarney Street, Cork, did not attend Cork District Court for the case against him. Judge John King convicted and fined him a total of €1,000 - €800 for having an uncontrolled dog and €200 for having no licence.

There was a dismissal of the count of failing to have the dog muzzled at the time, because the regulations for this offence were not proved in court.

On March 11, 2022, a 63-year-old man walking his dog at the Lee Fields said that he was attacked by two uncontrolled dogs one of which was a restricted breed, American Akita, dog who was the aggressor. While attempting to separate the dogs the man was bitten and the his right ring finger was severed, Garda Brian O’Connell said.

Jack Scully said in a statement to gardaí, which was read out by Garda O’Connell, “One of my friends had my dog, the Akita, with him at that time but the dog saw ducks and he went run after them. The dog pulled the lead out of my friend’s hand and ran loose.

“My dog’s name was Snoop. At the time that Snoop broke loose there was a man walking towards us with a dog on a lead. I was a little bit back and I heard the two dogs fighting. It was my dog and this old man’s dog fighting.

“I ran over and I tried to pull my dog back. The old man tried to pull the two dogs apart also and in doing this he put his hand in my dog’s mouth and that was when the top of his finger came off. The dogs stopped fighting. I got my own dog and handed it to one of my friends.

“I asked the man if he was OK but he was in shock. I think one of my friends picked up the piece of the man’s finger which was bitten off and I ran across the road to the garage to get some ice for it.

“The only thing I could find in the shop of the garage was a frozen bag of chips. We all went over to the garage and we all waited there with the man until the ambulance came.

“I didn’t have a licence for my American Akita dog. After this happened I brought my dog to the CSPCA in Mahon and he’s after being put down as I explained to them what happened.

“I am very sorry for what happened to the man and I hope that he is OK after it and that his dog is OK also.” 

The defendant who had no previous convictions concluded by saying that one of his friends had a Pitbull Terrier that was present at the time but he said this dog did not go near the man who was bitten.

The injured party’s finger was severed from below the nail and despite surgery it was not possible to re-attach it.

Judge King remarked that this could be dealt with by a personal injuries claim. There was a solicitor for the injured party in court with a watching brief, indicative of a civil case being taken in respect of the bite.