A ROSYTH woman has been sentenced after a dog was savaged and killed in a vicious attack by her pit bull terrier in Rosyth.

The pet that died had been pulled from the arms of a young girl, who was also injured in the horrific incident.

Adults intervened but the attacking dog went back repeatedly in pursuit of its victim, a 10-year-old Jack Russell called ‘Pup’.

Natalie Jackson, 32, of Woodside Avenue, Rosyth, has now been sentenced at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

‘Pup’ had been taken by an 11-year-old girl to Jackson’s home. The girl was a friend of Jackson’s daughter and looking after the dog for her gran.

Jackson admitted previously that on June 5, at her home, she was in charge of a pit bull terrier-type dog called ‘Alvin’, which was dangerously out of control.

While untethered, Alvin ran into the garden, lunged at an 11-year-old girl and attempted to seize Pup, who was in her arms.

When Pup jumped to the ground, Alvin seized it in his jaws.

Alvin then bit Pup repeatedly on the body and shook it violently until being pulled away by a 72-year-old man.

Alvin then escaped from the man’s grasp and chased Pup into Cromwell Road, seized him by the head and shook him violently in its jaws.

The dogs were then separated by another man.

The girl ran away with Pup in her arms but Alvin broke free again, chased the girl, seized Pup from her arms and chased him under a bush.

Alvin then seized Pup’s legs in his jaws and bit him repeatedly on the body whereby Pup was injured fatally. The girl and one of the men were also injured.

The court was told Pup died from his injuries and Alvin was later put down.

Sheriff Wylie Robertson pointed out the family believed Alvin was a Staffordshire bull terrier but tests carried out by the SSPCA showed it was in fact an American pit bull type.

“They didn’t know what they were dealing with,” said the sheriff.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison confirmed his client had no idea the dog was an American pit bull terrier.

“It was a tragic set of circumstances and Mrs Jackson is an upstanding and responsible member of the community,” added the solicitor.

He said his client was inside the house looking after her children including a newly-born baby when the incident occurred.

Sheriff Wylie told Jackson: “I accept that this hadn’t happened before and took you by surprise.”

He ordered her to pay compensation of £469.78 to Pup’s owner for her vet bill and also £500 each to the girl and man, who were injured.