A PORTHMADOG mum has slammed the sentence given to a dog owner whose pet “ripped the skin” off her daughter’s horse in a terrifying attack.

Denise Meldrum was riding her coloured Arab, Missy, with her daughter Mandy Dyson, who was on her horse, Poppy, when the horrific attack happened on 8 March on Black Rock Sands in Morfa Bychan.

Poppy suffered severe injuries during the attack; she suffered deep bite wounds to her flank and her legs. She needed several stitches for her injuries.

The dog’s owner, 41-year-old Elliott Austin of Allestree in Derby, appeared before Caernarfon Magistrates Court on Friday, 30 September, where he pleaded guilty to being the owner/person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

He was fined £330, ordered to pay £100 in compensation, £33 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

Magistrates also ordered Austin to keep the dog on a lead in public places.

Denise said she was shocked by the “lenient” sentence and will be contacting the magistrates to question their reasons for not imposing tougher conditions.

Read the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News, in shops now, or available online by clicking the digital editions link