A pit bull terrier dog has been shot by the Garda Armed Support Unit in Cork after an incident in which a woman was injured.
The incident occurred at a private house on Connolly Road, Ballyphehane in Cork City shortly after 5pm on Thursday evening.
It occurred days after Nicole Morey (23) was killed at her house in Ballyneety, Limerick after being mauled by her XL bully, a larger version of an American pit bull.
Gardaí were called to the scene in Cork after the dog injured a woman, biting her arm and leg, in the back yard of the woman’s home.
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Another family member was bitten in the arm after attempting to restrain the dog.
Pit bull terriers are on the list of 11 restricted dog breeds in Ireland.
Gardaí requested support from the Armed Support Unit at the scene of the attack.
A vet was called, but after failed attempts to sedate the dog, it was shot by a member of the Armed Support Unit, before being euthanised by the vet.
The two people who were injured were taken to Cork University Hospital, where they received treatment for soft tissue injuries.
Speaking to PJ Coogan on Cork’s 96FM Opinionline show, Vincent Cashman, who works for the CSPCA, said: “A pit bull can do damage. It was very pent up, very agitated. There was several attempts made to catch the dog and then the decision was made to shoot him ... It was very, very quick,” he said.
Dogs of this breed are “very big, powerful animals”, Mr Cashman said.
“We had one come into us here and it was 11 stone. The severity of a potential attack ... it’s very strong,” he said.
Meanwhile the funeral of Ms Morey will take place in Southill, Limerick on Monday.
She had returned to a house she was renting in Fedamore, Co Limerick, around 11.30pm last Tuesday night after celebrating her 23rd birthday.
When she turned the keys in the house she was attacked by one of her four dogs. A senior Garda source confirmed all four dogs were on a restricted breeding list and have been “destroyed” by the authorities.
A man who had access to a security camera video feed of the attack, but was not at the scene, and was not physically able to assist Ms Morey, alerted the emergency services and the woman’s family.
Gardaí attached to the regional Armed Support Unit shot one dog at the scene and restrained the other three which were taken into the custody of a dog warden, but were all later put down.
Despite efforts by the emergency services to save Ms Morey, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Ms Morey’s death is continuing, led by Roxboro Road Garda station.
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