A DISTRAUGHT mother whose daughter was savagely attacked by a dog spoke of her anger after the animal’s life was spared.

Emily Leach was left disgusted after a judge refused to put down the border collie that jumped up and bit the face of her 10-year-old daughter.

Despite her pleas to magistrates to have the dog destroyed, its owners, Eleanor and Ronald Foster, escaped with an £800 fine.

As previously reported, Lucie, who had dreams of being a vet, was stroking the dog in Cadhay Close, New Milton, when it suddenly “snapped” and sunk its teeth into her cheek.

Mrs Leach said: “It left Lucie screaming and we had to take her to hospital to have emergency surgery to her face. I was devastated and frightened for my daughter.”

District Judge David Bolton took into account that the 12-year-old dog had no previous record of behaving dangerously, and ordered that it should wear a muzzle and be on a lead at all times in public places.

Eleanor, 60, and husband Ronald, 61, of Cadhay Close, New Milton, were both said to have co-operated fully with police after the incident on April 4 and complied with a behaviour contract drawn up by officers.

Roger Peach, representing both defendants, said they were distressed by the incident.

District Judge David Bolton said: “The dog has no history of any behaviour of this type and you have complied with the behaviour contract that the police have drawn up.

“I am not going to make a destruction order.”

The pair were fined £400 each for allowing the dog to be dangerously out-of-control in a public place and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 each.