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A “DANGEROUSLY out of control” dog that attacked police officers in Herefordshire will not be put down, but its owner must follow strict rules.

Ian Pipe’s dog, named Sunny, attacked police officers in Leominster in January 2023.

Pipe, 59, was convicted of one count of being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control causing injury in November last year.

This was said to be an “aggravated offence of a dog being dangerously out of control committed against a police officer”.

Police had been called to Bridge Street in Leominster on January 5 because members of the public were concerned about the dog, a dark-coloured Shar pei/sharpe bull mastiff called Sunny.

When officers attended, the dog caused them minor injuries.

Now, magistrates have said Sunny will not be put down after the incident, but must be kept in strict conditions.

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Previously there had been an application for Sunny to be destroyed, but this has now been withdrawn and the case was reopened. A contingent destruction order was created.

The court order says: “Unless the dog Sunny is kept under proper control it must be destroyed”.

The conditions include Sunny being securely fitted with a muzzle in public, being helf on a non-retractable type of lead no longer than 1.5 metres, and being walked individually when in a public place. It must also be supervised at all times when it is in the garden, and not left unattended at any time unless it is secured inside its owner’s home in School View, Pontypool.