A WALKER has been left with ‘severe bruising and lacerations’ after he said a dog ran over startling his own pet, which led to him being pulled to the ground and injured.

Laurence Lawton wants to use his experience to warn others of the dangers of ‘out of control’ dogs and to call on owners to ensure such pets are kept on the lead.

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The 59-year-old was out walking his own dog just after 9am on the morning of April 22 when he came across another woman taking out her own pet on the Marsh in Weymouth.

“I was walking near the swimming pool car park and this woman was just going past the other way, as she did her dog started barking and snarling,” said Mr Lawton.

“She was having trouble keeping it under control, but we kept on going and then when coming back on the other side we saw her throwing a ball for her dog.

“Next thing I know her dog came running over barking and snarling again and scared my dog so much it ran off. The dog had me over and I injured my rib and grazed all my skin.”

Mr Lawton says the other dog did not actually touch him or his pet but caused the damage by startling his own four-legged friend. He says the fellow dog owner was apologetic but the ‘damage was done,’ later finding out from friends that they had heard of other incidents allegedly involving the same animal.

The Weymouth resident, who says he couldn’t walk his dog again until the following Sunday due to his injuries with other family members going instead, reported what happened to the dog warden.

He added: “If dog owners cannot control their dogs they should keep them on a lead and should not let them off.

“I just don’t want other people to go through the same situation because people need to be aware.”

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of the incident in Weymouth.

“The incident is being investigated and once a conclusion is reached, the correct course of action will be determined.

“We continue to encourage all dog owners and walkers to ensure they have proper control over their animals at all times.”