Man fears for guide dog's safety after attack

A visually-impaired man in St Helens is worried for his guide dog after a frightening encounter outside a McDonald's. Mark Atherton, who has a condition that affects his sight, said his two-year-old Labrador, Reb, is now scared of other dogs. This fear began after a smaller dog lunged at Reb during their walk. The incident occurred on March 10 when Mark was leaving McDonald’s. He described how he heard the dog growling and felt it attacking Reb. Although Reb was not hurt, the experience has changed his behavior. Mark reports that Reb now often leads him off course when he sees other dogs. Mark stated, "He’s been very distracted, constantly looking around for threats." He shared that just recently, Reb pulled him into a field because of another dog nearby, which left him disoriented. This attack is not the first Reb has faced. Mark noted that before he got Reb, the dog was attacked by another dog while wearing his harness. Fortunately, Reb was saved and trained again. Mark expressed how much Reb means to him and the fear of losing his guide dog because of these incidents. He feels let down by the police response after reporting the aggression. The police stated they found no evidence of a crime and offered advice to the Dachshund's owner. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police confirmed they received the report and noted that no injuries had occurred. They also mentioned speaking to both dog owners about keeping their dogs under control in the future.