A dog owner admitted her mastiff called Boss was dangerously out of control when it sank its teeth into a child’s arm.
Diana D’Acunto, 37, bought the male animal as a puppy and it grew to weigh nearly ten stone as a two-year-old.
Described as “extremely large and stocky”, Boss bit the girl after she challenged the pet over something it was eating.
The youngster was treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after being bitten at an address in the city.
Prosecutors are now seeking to have the dog destroyed but D’Acunto is fighting the move.
She appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday and pled guilty to being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog which was unmuzzled and untethered when it bit the girl on December 19 last year.
Fiscal depute Christine Brownlie said the incident took place at around 2.30pm when the victim found Boss “eating something he wasn’t supposed to”.
Ms Brownlie said the schoolgirl “attempted to intervene to stop that” and the dog bit her on the forearm, inflicting puncture wounds.
The girl was treated at the ERI with steri strips, a dressing, and antibiotics and discharged the same day.
The court was told D’Acunto sought to rehome Boss but an animal charity refused to take him because dogs who had been aggressive weren’t accepted.
A neighbour contacted police about the matter and the dog was seized.
Ms Brownlie said D’Acunto had been “happy” for the dog to be taken by cops as she “did not want him to bite anyone else”.
A Crown motion was submitted to have the dog put down.
Ms Brownlie said Boss was a “large and powerful” animal and a neighbour of D’Acunto had warned her such a breed required discipline and professional training.
The neighbour also told how Boss had previously made “mouthing motions” towards other dogs.
Defence agent Victoria Good said her client wished to oppose the motion to have her pet destroyed.
Ms Good said “alternatives to destruction” were available.
Sheriff Chris Dickson deferred sentence on D’Acunto, of the city’s Craigour area, until next month. The sheriff said it would allow Ms Good to obtain further information to oppose the motion to have Boss put down.
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