A dog who left a social worker permanently scarred after a horrific attack has been ordered to be put to sleep.
The Border Collie, called Bruno, sank its teeth into the terrified victim's cheek as she attended a house appointment to see the dog’s owner Charlotte Orr.
The animal mauled the social worker’s face and only let go when it was ordered to by Orr and her father.
She was left with horrific injuries and severe mental trauma as a result of the attack.
The incident took place at a house in South Shields and wasn’t the first time the dog had lashed out.
The pet had previously jumped up on an 11-year-old boy but was luckily muzzled at the time.
North Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard that the social worker attended a pre-planned appointment at an address in Brockley Avenue, in South Shields, on January 15 last year.
She noticed a sign on the gate saying "Beware of the dog" but entered the garden anyway after not seeing the pet and presuming it was inside.
Rebecca Gibson, prosecuting, said Bruno then appeared and initially seemed friendly, so the victim, who was a dog-lover and owner herself, put her hand out to let it sniff her.
Reading from the woman's statement, Mrs Gibson continued: "It didn't growl, and its tail was wagging.
"I began walking towards the house and the dog snacked at my right hand, catching the side and nipping it."
The court heard that the victim was fearful but stayed calm and began slowly to back away.
Mrs Gibson continued: "Due to the shock, I stumbled and fell on the footpath. The dog then latched on to my left cheek.
"It made a growling noise as it held on to me and was not letting go.
"I was naturally trying to get away from the dog and move my face to make it get off me but the more I moved, the harder I could feel the dog biting.
"It was not trying to move around but the bite was getting stronger."
The woman described after "what felt life forever", Orr and her dad appeared and called the dog off.
The 21-year-old and her father were heard saying, "How did the dog get out?" before calling an ambulance, magistrates were told.
But the pair ended up driving the injured social worker to a hospital themselves.
The court was told that the victim suffered deep puncture wounds to her cheek, head, and neck, which will require plastic surgery and leave permanent scars.
In an emotional statement, the woman said she now barely went out in public because she was self-conscious and embarrassed of the marks on her face and had been forced to quit her job of seven years and remove herself from the social workers' register.
"Since the incident occurred, I have suffered traumatic flashbacks directly related to the event,” she explained. "This is particularly when I'm in the community and see a dog."
Magistrates heard that, a year earlier, Bruno had jumped up at an 11-year-old boy on a scooter but hadn't caused any injury because he was muzzled.
"The kennels where the dog currently is say it is "horrible" and needs to be assisted by a behaviourist at the owner's expense,” Mrs Gibson added.
"It has also been accepted by the defendant that the dog is dangerous and should be destroyed."
The court was told that Orr wasn't aware the social worker would be visiting.
Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said: "There was a sign in the garden, which is there to be seen and actually was seen, saying "Beware of the dog", so there were some safety measures taken.”
Orr was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation.
She was also banned from owning a dog for 10 years and Bruno was ordered to be destroyed.
