Dog attacks spark 'highest ever' number of messages, says councillor

Cllr Alix Mathieson, who represents Milngavie on East Dunbartonshire Council, has told of how she received the "highest ever number of communications since being elected in May 2022" after a man and his dog were mauled by two other dogs on Sunday.

Messages from anxious constituents referred to dangerous dogs in the area after a pensioner and his pup were rushed to emergency care following the attack on Graham Drive.

Police confirmed that they were called to the incident involving a dog and a 63-year-old man around 2.45pm on June 18.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The two dogs were traced and police enquiries are continuing."

It is the second serious dog attack in the area after a dog succumbed to injuries following an assault by two other dogs at Mains Estate Park on February 27.

Read next 'The most horrific, vicious attack': Family dog killed by two dogs in park assault

Police have not confirmed if the attacks are linked but have said they are "keeping an open mind" as enquiries continue.

In a message to constituents, Cllr Mathieson said she had been assured by the local area commander for East Dunbartonshire that police would update her on the matter before the end of the week. An investigation is ongoing and a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Cllr Mathieson said in a statement that she was "deeply concerned" by the number of attacks occurring in Milngavie.

She added: "Dog bites can cause life-changing injuries and sometimes even death, so we must get on top of this spate of attacks urgently.

“Laws surrounding dog control have been badly out of date for too long despite repeated calls for them to be updated in the Scottish Parliament and must be looked at again.

“I have been working closely with local council officials, and the local area police commander as well as the community as a whole to tackle this issue that is affecting Milngavie right now.

"The vast majority of dog owners in the area are responsible and have great handling of their pets, so I want to reassure the community that these incidents are taken extremely seriously when they do occur.

"There has been a huge rise in the number of dog incidents across the UK as a result of inexperienced pet owners procuring dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic which was compounded by a lack of knowledge of different breeds and their temperaments.

"After my discussions with the police, I have every confidence that the matter will be resolved quickly and appropriately.

"I would like to remind my constituents that any incident with dogs that causes you to feel fear and alarm can be reported to the appropriate council officers or myself and the matter will be immediately looked into.”

The statement comes after locals questioned the handling of the dog attacks and demanded more be done to protect their neighbourhood, the Glasgow Times understands.