BITTEN BY DOG

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1937, Page 11

BITTEN BY DOG

BOY AT ORIENTAL BAY

LADY OWNER PROSECUTED

* Two boys, aged 10 and 11, gave evidence at the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S»M., in a case in, which Charlotte Minnie Anketell was charged With having a dangerous dog.

Sub-Inspector J. A. Dempsey, who prosecuted, said that on the afternoon of October. 13 a boy, Ronald Kenneth Smith, was. bitten by a dog at Oriental Bay. There was. no dispute Whether the boy was bitten, but only whether Mrs. Anketell's dog bit him.

The boy, aged 10, gave evidence that he'came down a zigrzag at Oriental Bay one; day when there were two. dogs' about. One was a fox terrier and the other a brown dog. The fox terrier was only barking at him, and he was not frightened of it. It ran over towards a lady with the brown dog. The brciwn- dog came over and barked at him, and the lady tied it up. Later it broke away and started barking\at ,him. He tried to get up a wall, but the dog started biting him on the leg. He was sure that it was the big brown dog that bit him. •

Answering questions put by Mr. G^ A. Wylie, the boy said that the browndog was with him when Mrs. Anketell first.- came in sight, and he was patting it. Mrs. Anketell was the nearest person when >he was bitten, but he did not speak to her about it. He thought it was her dog because she tied it up. ,

Another boy, aged 11, said that at the time,of the occurrence he and another boy were further down the street. The big brown dog was jumping up at Ronald, and the black arid white one was running round. When Ronald came down he saw that his leg was cut. The other boy put a handkerchief, round the cuts, and Ronald went home. The witness said he did not see a lady at the time.

A constable , gave evidence that when he visited Mrs. Anketell's house a big brown dog was at the gate* and was inclined to bark at him. Later, however, it was quite friendly. He read a statement Written by Mrs. Anketell. ''.[' ' . '

Mr. Stilwell remarked that it was unlikely that the boy would, mistake the dog that bit him. The matter, however, was not a serious one, and the defendant would be convicted and ordered to pay .costs only.