Owner ‘distressed’ after bichon frise killed by pitbull on Bandon street

A MAN has been fined €1,000 after a ‘distressing’ incident in which a small dog was killed on the street by a pitbull terrier.

Gyula Pasztor (35) of 29 Ard na Chuilin, Bandon, pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the control of dogs, with one charge being withdrawn.

At Bandon District Court Insp Emmet Daly said the incident occurred at noon on September 3rd last when the bichon frise dog was killed at Church Lane in Bandon by the pitbull terrier.

Judge James McNulty heard that a woman was out walking her dog when the other dog appeared.

The solicitor for Mr Pasztor, Eamonn Fleming, said the incident had been ‘distressing’ for the woman.

The court heard that Mr Pasztor, who runs a garage with his father, and is originally from Hungary, had three previous convictions.

Mr Fleming said the pitbull terrier was used as a guard dog and that Mr Pasztor’s father had gone to the garage on the day.

When he did not see the dog, he assumed it had been locked into a kennel. It then ran out onto the road, killing the other dog in an incident Mr Fleming said his client very much regretted.

The dog was seized and put down.

Mr Pasztor had offered to buy the owner of the bichon frise a new dog.

The judge said the dog breed in question was a ‘known potentially dangerous dog’.

But the judge added: ‘I am sure there are lots of pitbull terriers out there who are lovely dogs. You have to be so careful these days not to offend dog owners, or dogs.’

However, he said, in this case it was an instance where ‘a big savage dog’ rushed out and killed ‘a small harmless dog’.

He fined Mr Pasztor €1,000, and gave him one month to pay.