A seven-year-old boy was attacked by a “pit bull” type of dog and was bitten on the leg and side while playing in a park near his Edinburgh school.
Reece Munro was with his mother, Cheryl, playing in Craigentinny Park Playground near Loganlea Drive when he was attacked twice by the dog.
His mother fears he will be left with scarring once the wounds heal and is concerned about the safety of Reece and his friends while out playing.
Police Scotland are aware of the incident, which happened on 12 October, and The City of Edinburgh Council dog warden is looking into the circumstances of the attack.
Reece had been running around with his friends in a wooded area of the park as they usually do at the end of the school day. The boy was holding a stick, as were some of the other children, but he said that he threw it down on seeing the dog making a run for him.
Mrs Munro said: “My son and his friends were playing in the park as they do every day. There is a woodland area in the park and all the kids play in there after school. They think it’s a forest, so they collect sticks and make dens.
“It was a normal day – we always go to the park after school, both children and parents. The man came in from the opposite end of the park to where the boys were.
“Reece said he saw him coming towards him, but at that point the dog was on the lead. Obviously the dog was far too strong and he couldn’t stop him.
“Reece threw the stick away thinking that was why the dog was coming for him, but that was when the dog latched on to him and he fell. By the time I got to him my son had leapt over the fence to get away from the dog – it must have just been the adrenaline.”
The man who was in charge of the dog ran out of the park but the boy’s father, Ryan Munro, knew where to find the dog as they live in the same street. He caught up with the man who had been in charge of the animal but the man tried to deny that the dog was his.
Mr Munro said that his son was able to identify the dog which had attacked him in an interview with the police that took place at the hospital where Reece was treated.
Although the bites will heal, the boy’s mother believes he will be left with scarring. Mrs Munro added that he is “quite tough” and mentally seems all right after the attack, but she said they have not yet been back to the same area yet.
She explained: “The dog is still being walked in the street with its owner and the man who was with it the other day. And they were spotted at the park at the weekend with the dog as well. I find it baffling that this can happen and they are still allowed to take the dog out.
“There has been talk before about getting dogs banned from the park, but most people with dogs walk around the edge of the park if there are children playing there.
“This is a big scary looking dog and it is quite old as well. People in the area have told me they are aware of the dog. We have lived here for 13 years and nothing like this has happened before. Now I don’t even feel safe allowing my boys into our garden, but I really don’t want them to be frightened after this.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a child having been bitten by a dog around 3.30pm on Thursday, 12 October, 2023 in the Craigentinny area of Edinburgh.
“The child received treatment for injuries sustained in the incident.
“The dog warden has been notified and enquires are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has been asked for comment.
In terms of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 it is the responsibility of the dog’s owner to ensure that it is kept under control. One of the circumstances when an animal can be deemed out of control is when it bites another person and the council can impose a Dog Control Notice advising what the owner needs to do to bring the dog under control. The responsibility remains with the owner even if someone else was looking after the dog at the time.
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