A MOTHER who owns a dangerous dog, which attacked her neighbour’s pet, has pleaded with Swindon Council not to destroy him.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court, on Friday, Natalie Guyatt, 35, of Oakham Close, pleaded guilty to owning an animal which became dangerously out of control during an incident on October 24, last year.

The drama unfolded after her eight stone tan and white Mastiff-American Bulldog cross, Dexter, encountered a neighbour’s dog in Stokesay Road, Toothill, leaving it with a broken leg.

Five-year-old Dexter was served with a destruction order after the council made an application under section two of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1871 – and without a successful appeal has just days left to live.

The mother-of-six said she was convinced of Dexter’s good nature.

“If I for one second thought he was dangerous I would let them destroy him. I would never take the risk with my children and grandchild here if there was any risk of him attacking them,” she said.

“As soon as I heard that they were going to destroy him, I broke down, I was heartbroken. He is a stupid soppy dog and does not have an aggressive nature.”

At the sentencing on Friday, the court heard how in the run-up to the incident, Guyatt’s 14-year-old daughter had taken Dexter for a walk wearing a head halter – a safety device that closes the jaws of the dog when a lead is pulled.

Dexter had previously injured the same dog, owned by someone who lives near the Guyatt family, in July 2011, resulting in muscle damage to the dog’s stomach and £750 vet’s bill.

Guyatt said she was advised rather than instructed by law to keep Dexter muzzled after the first incident and that he was muzzled in public at all times before the attack and that her dog was not responsible for all of the victim animal’s injuries.

She also maintains her neighbour injured his dog’s leg as he went to protect the animal.

“My daughter accidentally dropped her headphones, then Dexter’s lead,” she said.

“The neighbour’s dog barked at Dexter and he ran off.”

“The owner is a big man who plays rugby, he jumped onto the dog before Dexter even reached him and his dog’s leg was broken that way.”

Rosemary Heath, prosecuting, told the court Dexter had knocked the owner to the ground before the attack and caused injuries to the dog, which amounted to more than £6,500 in vet’s bills.

“The daughter dropped the lead and Dexter ran towards the owner at high speed, followed by the teenager,” the court heard.

“The owner had no time to do anything before Dexter hit him at speed, knocking him hard to the ground so he landed to face in the opposite direction.

“The dog was bleeding from his front left leg, which was dangling. The owner immediately took the dog to the vet who found multiple puncture wounds, his left foreleg bone had shattered and there was a risk of nerve damage.”

Guyatt, who was also sentenced to a community order of 100 hours and fined £1,360, is now appealing against Dexter’s death sentence and pledged not to allow the council put him down.

“Dexter has never been aggressive to any of my children, to my one-year-old granddaughter or to the dog and cat he lives with,” she added.

“He sleeps with the children at night and they climb all over him and he never minds. All he wants is cuddles and love.

“He’s part of the family. We won’t let them destroy him.”