‘Terrifying experience’ for woman grabbed by dog while walking in Cork town

A woman, was grabbed by a large Belgian Malinois dog while out walking endured “a terrifying experience”, according to a district court judge.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told Macroom District Court the woman was walking her small dog near the hospital grounds in Macroom on March 14, 2025, at 7.30pm.

A large Belgian Malinois dog, similar in appearance to a German shepherd, ran towards her and she picked up her own dog to protect it.

The court was told the Belgian Malinois jumped up at the woman and “grabbed her elbow” but did not cause any injury. The dog was not muzzled, was not on a leash and there was nobody with the dog. 

The court was told the experience was very frightening for the woman.

Defence solicitor, Jack Purcell, said his client, Joe Creedon, aged 68, of New Street, Macroom, Co Cork, was the owner of the dog. 

He said Mr Creedon was with the dog in the adjacent Commons Field and he immediately came after the dog. 

The court heard the two-year-old Belgian Malinois had gone out of Mr Creedon’s view momentarily and ran towards the small dog when it saw it.

Mr Purcell said Mr Creedon’s dog was well-trained and came back to him immediately when he whistled for it to do so. 

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He said the dog was not vicious and probably “wanted to play” with the smaller dog. 

The court was told the dog was out of Mr Creedon’s sight for “less than a minute”.

The court was told Mr Creedon was a retired school principal with no previous convictions of any kind. Mr Purcell asked Judge Joanne Carroll to consider not convicting Mr Creedon “at this stage in his life” given his previously unblemished record.

Judge Carroll said it must have been “a terrifying experience” for the woman. She said the woman knew nothing about the dog which looks like a German shepherd, which is a restricted breed though the Belgian Malinois is not.

She said dog owners “need to be vigilant at all times”. She agreed to strike out the case if Mr Creedon made a €225 contribution to the court poor box.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme