A MOTHER broke down in court in tears last week as a sheriff ruled that a dog that savaged her three-year-old daughter’s face should be spared death.

Sheriff David Mackie ruled that the eight-year-old border collie, which left the youngster permanently scarred, will not pose any risk to the public if kept under strict controls in the future.

The mother of the child spoke of her anger at the decision, saying her daughter will be affected for the rest of her life as a result of the attack.

The incident took place on June 8 this year at an address in Sauchie after the dog, named Charlie, and the youngster had been playing in the garden.

Owner Sharon Ovens then noticed Charlie was missing, and the little girl’s mother, who cannot be named, asked her daughter to go into their house to look for him.

After a few minutes she heard the toddler screaming: “Help me, mum, help me.”

She previously told Alloa Sheriff Court she ran in and found Charlie “on the toddler’s face” before hauling the dog off by the collar.

The toddler was bleeding from a number of bite marks on her face, a puncture wound to her neck, and had a bite mark on her right hip.

She was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital, rushed to Glasgow for surgery, and has been left scarred.

During the trial, the court heard that Charlie had previously bitten an Olde English Bulldogge on the face, and that during a police interview Ovens admitted Charlie didn’t like other dogs or the noise of children playing on scooters or other wheeled toys.

Ovens, 47, of Sauchie, denied that her pet was dangerously out of control, contrary to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, but on Wednesday, November 16, was found guilty after trial.

Sheriff Mackie made Charlie subject to a contingent destruction order – meaning it would be spared so long as it is never allowed unsupervised in the presence of children and is kept on a lead and muzzled in public. He also banned the dog from the area where the child lives.

He told Ovens: “I find you to be an entirely honest person, a public servant, and this has clearly affected you as strongly as anybody else.

“I have come to the view that the dog was dangerously out of control at the time of this dreadful attack.

“What actually happened that resulted in the dog attacking this child we will never know, but something exceptional happened.”

He added: “Your own observation of the dog’s reaction to the sound of children on scooters and other wheeled items placed you on notice that in certain circumstances Charlie could act aggressively and unpredictably.

“You might well have been placed under a false sense of security because the child had played so much with Charlie before and, far from being in any danger, they got on very well.”

With regards to the dog, the sheriff said: “In the face such a horrific attack on the child it’s natural to react immediately by thinking the dog should be put down.

“It may be that this attack has had a significant psychological impact on the child.

“I can only imagine as anyone else would that this will affect her attitude towards dogs, and possibly more.

“But that is not a factor I can or should take into account.

“Taking an objective view of all the evidence there is much to suggest that under reasonable supervision and with reasonable precautions the dog Charlie will not constitute a danger to the public.”

Ovens was then admonished by the sheriff.

The child’s mother said outside court: “I’m not blaming Sharon Ovens, but I don’t understand why she’s getting the dog back after what it did. My daughter’s not going to get a new face and she may be affected by it all her life.

“Where’s the justice? I’m just so angry. That dog is dangerous and should have been put down.”

Charlie, who has been in police kennels since the incident, will now be returned to Ovens who said: “It’s all been awful for everyone.

“I just wanted the facts heard and for the court to make a decision.”