There have been calls for dog owners to ensure that their pets are kept under control at home and in public after two separate dog attacks occurred in Fermanagh last Saturday (January 23), with one man seeking medical attention after sustaining severe bites to his fingers.

On Saturday morning, local couple Simon Johnston and Lauren Barlow were out walking their dog, Cooper, at Necarne when they were approached by a dog that wasn’t on a lead.

“We were walking around our normal loop when a dog came up behind Cooper, sniffed him once, barked and then bit him on the back and his back legs.

“The dog continued to go for Cooper, getting his neck before my boyfriend [Simon] got in the middle,” said Lauren, explaining that the dog that attacked their dog was “not provoked in any shape or form”.

As Simon tried to get the other dog away from Cooper, it bit him badly on three of his fingers. At the time of the attack, the owners of the dog were nowhere to be seen.

READ MORE: Fermanagh woman attacked by dog believes more action needs to be taken following similar reports

After getting away from the dog, they ran back to their car because Simon’s fingers were bleeding heavily.

“We had to run past the owners of the dog, who by this point had put the dog on a lead. We weren’t even asked if they could help or assist us in any way after we showed them the injury,” said Lauren.

Simon was taken to A&E and had to have five stitches in his middle finger.

“The cut was that deep that the bone was showing. Other wounds were puncture wounds so they should heal, however we won’t know the full extent of the injury until the stitches come out, but he will be scarred for life.

‘Constant pain’

“He is in constant pain with his injuries,” said Lauren, adding: “As a family, we are shaken by this incident. We would have walked our dog every evening and weekend, and now we feel considerable anxiety taking our own dog out for a walk, which shouldn’t be the case.”

Following this incident, the couple are calling for all dog owners to keep their pet on a lead.

“For dog owners – no matter whether your dog is trained, untrained, big or small, it must be on a lead.

“You are responsible for your dog and your dog’s behaviour. You never know what way any dog will react to another dog, child or adult.

“God forbid it wasn’t Simon who was bitten, and it was a small child on a family walk.

“Yes, this accident could have been far worse, but the bottom line is it shouldn’t have happened.

“My main concern is that this does not happen ever again to a dog, person and more importantly, a child or a baby.

“Signs are there for a reason, and if people make steps in abiding by these rules, this may prevent an incident like this happening again,” Lauren told The Impartial Reporter.

READ MORE: Fermanagh councillor: ‘Police should investigate dog attacks, not the Council’

In Lisbellaw on Saturday morning, a woman who wishes to remain anonymous was out walking her three dogs when two German Shepherds attacked one of her dogs, again unprovoked.

“One of the German Shepherds got his jaw around my dog’s neck, and the other one was very close, growling and snapping,” said the woman.

A passing motorist stopped to help and managed to get the German Shepherd away from the woman’s dog.

“I have to say, if it hadn’t been for him, the situation could have been far, far worse.

“I just have huge gratitude to the young lad, to stop and help and get involved in something like that was extremely brave, and so appreciated, because I would have had a dead dog if he hadn’t helped,” said the woman, noting that her dog had to be taken to the vet with the injuries it sustained in the attack.

“I was absolutely furious that anybody would let their dogs run into the road in any event,” she said, adding: “It’s happening too much. We can’t be afraid to go and walk our dogs in the countryside and around the roads because of other people not doing what they should be doing.”

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is aware of​ complaints regarding both incidents, and investigation​s ​are ongoing.

A Council spokeswoman said: “If anyone has information to help with the investigation, they should contact the Licensing department of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

“Additional patrols are currently being undertaken by Enforcement Officers across the district, with enforcement action taken against anyone who is found to be in breach of the dog control regulations.”

READ MORE: Teenager and pensioner attacked by same dog in Fermanagh want Council to act