A ROSYTH family have been left stunned and upset after their beloved pet was savaged by another dog.

The attack also caused the pram of their five-months-old baby to topple over with the child bashing his head, with a bystander punching the offending dog in the ribs to stop a mauling.

Brenda Stewart said, “We were just standing there screaming and crying ‘Help! Help!’ and people were getting out of their cars to help but it was a brave man standing outside the hotel waiting on a lift who punched the staffie in the guts to detach it from Barney’s nose.” She was walking Barney, a golden retriever, along Queensferry Road with her daughter Daisy (11) and grandson Ruaridh around 3.20pm on Thursday 8th January when a white Staffordshire bull terrier attacked near the King Malcolm Hotel.

It locked its jaws onto Barney’s nose and tried to rip it off, with the violent struggle causing Ruaridh’s pram to fall on its side, giving the youngster a large red bruise on his forehead.

Brenda, of Queensferry Road, Rosyth, was powerless as the scene unfolded and was reluctant to intervene in case she got attacked by the offending animal too.

Despite the attack, the injury sustained by Ruaridh and the obvious distress of the family, the staffie’s owner just walked away without saying anything.

A female witness followed her and asked for some details but was apparently told, “If she (Brenda) wants info, she can get it herself. The dog is fostered and deaf.” According to the witness, the staffie’s owner claimed that both dogs were barking and acting aggressively – something Brenda strongly denied, “My dog is frightened of my Mum’s cat!

“He is not aggressive, I’m not having it. She was just an irresponsible owner of a dangerous dog that should be muzzled.” Brenda (47), a bar supervisor at the Gothenburg Hotel, said, “Barney has been crying and he’s going to have to go back to the vet.

“It’s cost me £100 so far and I want her (the staffie’s owner) to pay it. She will be getting a bill and she IS going to pay.” Fife Council dog warden David Allan said, “The Dangerous Dogs Act which came into being a few years ago gives wardens the power to deal with incidents where dogs are out of control or near being out of control.

“We can issue Dog Control Orders if we see fit or make the owner put the dog on a lead, muzzle the animal or attend classes.

“We deal with all incidents however minor or serious.

“While the procurator fiscal has stopped dealing with certain instances of dogs being out of control in a public place, it never ceased to be a crime. What happened to Barney was an aggravation of the offence.

“I will be contacting a witness and if there is enough evidence for me to approach the other dog owner with a view to perhaps issuing a control order then I will endeavour to chase the dog owner up and do so.

“We’ll look at the possibility of whether or not a control order is needed, or advice or a warning. While we don’t have the power to prosecute, the police still can if they choose to.” Daisy, Brenda’s daughter, added, “Our family pet is still alive and we are very relieved. Barney is on his way back to himself again, still a bit swollen in places and crusty.

“I want to give many thanks to all of the witnesses and especially a brave witness that punched the staffie. Many, many thanks for all the support for Barney and our family – we will keep people posted with information on his recovery.”