Scary’ pitbull puts St Georgians on edge

Cause for concerns: a file photograph of a dog similar to the pitbull crossbreed that has intimidated residents in St Georges



A pitbull crossbreed on the loose in St Georges has terrorised residents.

Now they want the owner of the dog tracked down and warned to keep it under control.

Gillian Outerbridge said that she had had several run-ins with the dog in the area around St Georges Preparatory on Church Folly Lane.

She added: I just wont walk around there now  Im just too nervous in the evening.

Ms Outerbridge said that her first encounter with the brown and brindle dog, said to be part-pitbull, happened about ten days ago. She recalled: It was very scary. As soon as I got back to the house I called the police.

Ms Outerbridge said the dog was not aggressive but intimidated her as she walked her own small dog.

She added: I felt that if my dog had even curled a lip at this dog, it would have taken it as an invitation to possibly lunge.

I was gripping my dog so tight she was practically choked.

She said that a neighbour had come out of a house after he heard Ms Outerbridge shout and chased the dog away.

Ms Outerbridge added that area residents were now aware that the dog posed a potential threat. She said: There are a lot people in St Georges, particularly single women, who walk small dogs.

They all know now to watch out for this dog.

Ms Outerbridge added that she was also concerned for the safety of children who played at the nearby St Georges Preparatory schoolyard.

She said: The children do come out and play on the swings up at the school, even when the school is out. So there are often children around there.

Ms Outerbridge added: We are all on the lookout for it.

Sonja Slawson, Ms Outerbridges neighbour, said that she had seen the dog several times.

She added the first sighting was last week after she woke up to let her own dog outside and something caught her eye.

I looked out the window and there was this animal and he was walking towards the house, she said. When he saw me, he actually growled. It frightened me because Ive never had a dog growl at me, especially while in the house.

She said she had seen the dog twice more since then. Ms Slawson said that the dog did not look malnourished but that she did not see a collar on him.

Nandi Outerbridge, a One Bermuda Alliance senator and former St Georges MP, turned up at an event last Friday evening.

The senator, a wedding and event planner, said she and her husband were with a couple preparing for an engagement ceremony at the Unfinished Church on Blockade Alley when the dog appeared. She said that her husband chased the dog from the church, but that it reappeared several times.

Ms Outerbridge said it was unfortunate.

She added: It could have been a wedding which would have had a lot more guests. That would have been completely embarrassing.

She said she had not reported the incident. She added that the dogs owner needed to better control the animal.

We cant really have dogs running lose.

Gillian Outerbridge added that the Governments dog warden had not responded to messages. She said that the animals owner could be tracked down using the dog registry.

An animal warden said yesterday that he had just returned from holiday and was not aware of any report of a dog on the loose in the town.