Leeds dog owner needed hospital treatment after being attacked by bulldog as she tried to protect her pet

The woman needed hospital treatment after the incident in Pudsey.

Toni Mellor, 58, pleaded guilty to an offence of being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog over the incident on March 20 this year.

Emily Hassell, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that the victim was walking her dog along a cutting between New Street Grove and South Parade.

Ms Hassell said Mellor was also walking her British bulldog, called Clyde, in the same area.

The woman put her dog on a lead when she saw them and shouted over to Mellor that she should do the same thing.

Mellor replied: "You shouldn't have done that, he's seen you now."

Mellor's dog then approached and attacked the victim's pet.

She picked up the animal but the bulldog continued to be aggressive.

It jumped up and bit the other dog on the leg and bit the victim on the right hand.

She tried to put her dog up a tree to protect it from the bulldog.

Mellor managed to get her dog under control and put it on a lead.

She then said she would go to get a first aid kit before walking away.

The victim shouted for help and a member of the public came to her aid.

She led the woman to her home where the victim's hand was put in a bandage.

Mellor also went to the property to help.

She said to the victim: "We don't want anyone in the street to know what happened."

The victim went home but later had to go to hospital when her hand began to swell.

She needed treatment for two puncture wounds.

Police were contacted and Mellor's dog was placed into protective care.

The court heard Mellor has convictions for 31 offences, but none relating to dangerous dog offences.

Temitayo Dasaolu, mitigating, said Mellor's dog is a rescue dog which helped the defendant cope with mental health problems.

The barrister said: "Clyde has been her lifeline.

"She cares deeply about her dog."

Mellor, of New Street Grove, Pudsey, was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

She was also ordered to complete ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.

She was also ordered to pay £611 compensation to the victim.

Recorder Ian Mularkey said: "You ought to have taken appropriate steps to ensure your dog was not in a position to attack as it did.

"But I do accept that you did what you could to stop the attack and you assisted (the victim)."

Recorder Mullarkey also ordered that the dog be put in a harness and kept on a lead in public.

The animal must not be supervised by anyone under the age of 18.