Dumbarton dog owner in A&E after vicious attack thought pet schnauzer would die in his arms

A Dumbarton dog owner was left fearing for his beloved pet's life after it was brutally attacked by two dogs in the middle of the street.

After finishing work at around 6.30pm on April 9, Gary Davison decided to take 15-month-old miniature schnauzer Roscoe on a stroll around the Bellsmyre area. As the pair entered into a nearby cul-de-sac two staffie-type dogs sprinted across.

The 47-year-old watched in horror as Roscoe was bitten on the head, neck, legs, tail and ears. The poor pooch was bleeding profusely as Gary bravely lifted his pet away.

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The dogs, who had no collar or lead on, continued to jump at the Dumbarton man leaving him with severe bites on his hands.

Gary told Glasgow Live: "We have a regular route and I kind of let Roscoe lead the way.

"We walked into a particular area during the walk which is a cul-de-sac. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two dogs bolt over.

"They started hassling Roscoe and before I knew it they started biting and pulling him. It was all a bit of a blur, I just kept trying to pull him away but they wouldn't let go.

"I remember that I just kept shouting. I managed to pick him up but one of the dogs kept trying to jump at Roscoe. It seemed to go on for ages.

"Eventually somebody got the dogs under control. I remember looking at Roscoe in my arms and he was covered in blood.

"I thought he was dying on me because he suddenly went very quiet. He was screaming before so I thought he was about to die."

With his wife, Amy, visiting a family member in Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital Gary was left without a car to rush the injured Roscoe to the vets.

Luckily good smaritans stepped in to offer a lift to the nearby vets before taking the pair to the University of Glasgow's small animal hospital.

After handing the Schnauzer over to the staff they told Gary to get to the hospital as soon as possible

He said: "One of the girls told me that I needed to get checked out because I was in a bad way.

"I was given a lift to the RAH in Paisley because my wife was there. When we got there I told Amy what happend and we were in A&E until the early hours of the morning.

"My thumb was fractured and I had a bite on both hands. One of the bites went through my thumbnail so I needed to get a tetnis jabs.

"Roscoe was in hospital for nine days. They were worried about his blood loss, then his eyes but fortunately he only lost a few teeth.

"He had a gaping wound on his neck but he is incredibly lucky."

The traumatic incident has had a significant impact on the Dumbarton man. He explained: "I was massively shaken up.

"My emotions were flipping between anger and shock. I was struggling a bit to sleep for the following few days.

"We'll be veering away from that area from now on. I've gone out on a walk since and I saw a couple with a big dog on a lead.

"I was a bit worried then I explained to them what happened. They reassured me and I was able to pat the dog.

"It has made me more apprehensive to interact with other dogs."

The 18-month-old pup is returning to himself and refuses to be phased by the attack, however, the couple are taking measures to ensure a similar incident doesn't take place

Wife Amy told Glasgow Live: " I ordered a sleeve for the lead to give people a visual indication that Roscoe needs space.

"Roscoe has coped remarkably with things since the incident. He goes to a day care centre one day a week and he is back interacting with dogs.

"I feel like although he has been very luck to survive, we've been very lucky to have him still here. He is so loving and inquisitive.

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"Roscoe adores people and he makes us laugh every day. We brought Roscoe home after my mum had died so he has been a real source of comfort.

"When I have been struggling with grief at times he is the thing that gets me out of bed. He is a big part of our family."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.40pm on Tuesday, 9 April, 2024, police received a report of two dogs attacking a dog in the Auchenreoch Avenue area of Dumbarton.

"Officers attended and carried out enquiries, but no complaints were made. The incident was passed to the dog warden.”