Woman charged after dogs maul girl in Dundee street Published duration 30 August 2010

media caption Rhianna's grandmother Irene Grady says the 10-year-old was left covered in blood

A woman has been charged after a 10-year-old girl was attacked by two Rottweiler dogs in a Dundee street.

Rhianna Kidd underwent emergency surgery after being attacked while riding her bike in Dryburgh Street at 1100 BST on Sunday.

Tayside Police said a 33-year-old woman had been charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for failing to keep the animals under control.

A full report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

The dogs have been traced and were put down on Monday evening after being held in kennels following the attack.

Rhianna underwent three hours of reconstructive surgery to pin a fractured jaw on Sunday night and is also receiving treatment for bites to her arms and legs. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Her grandmother Irene Grady, who lives in the area, told BBC News that she ran out of her house after seeing one of the Rottweilers drag Rhianna off her bike.

The two dogs pinned her down and began to savage her. A passing motorist sounded his horn to try to distract the dogs.

Mrs Grady said: "When I got over there, where she was, the dogs went away from her, not away, but they went off her, so I just got down and picked her up and put her close beside me.

"She was screaming and she was shouting 'granny, my leg, my leg'.

"She was covered in blood, I couldn't say where because she still had her clothes on. Obviously they were torn, covered in blood.

"Her face was covered in blood. She was on about her leg and on about her arm and she says 'granny my jaw's broken'."

image caption Rhianna Kidd was taken to hospital for treatment

Tayside Police are carrying out inquiries and have traced the two dogs, and a puppy of a different breed that was also present, and confined them to kennels.

It is understood that the animals' owner has given permission for them to be put down.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the attack to contact them, particularly a driver who sounded his horn and disturbed the dogs during the attack.

Scottish National Party MSP Christine Grahame introduced a members bill to amend the Dangerous Dogs Act in Scotland, which will come into law next spring.

It requires the owner to properly train and control their dogs and be responsible for any dangerous behaviour.

Ms Grahame told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I can't speak about the specifics here but generally dogs that get into that state have not been under control on previous occasions, or should have been.

"If they've been running loose, they're big dogs - I don't want to demonise the breed, it's not the breed - but big dogs should be kept under control, as indeed some little dogs have to be because Jack Russells can be quite aggressive.

"So, it's knowing your dog, controlling it, even in your own home where people might be coming because unfortunately many of these incidents have taken place in somebody's home."

MSPs voted in April to back the introduction of "dog Asbos" under Ms Grahame's Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, giving councils greater powers to impose penalties, with a focus on the "deed and not the breed" of the dog.