Edinburgh girl, 5, left with broken leg after being 'skittled' by two dogs on Fife beach - and 9-month-old sister narrowly missed collision

A five-year-old Edinburgh girl was hospitalised with a broken leg after being "skittled" by two dogs playing together on a Fife beach - and her nine-month-old sister narrowly avoided the collision.

Little Maggie Munro was left screaming in pain after being knocked over by two collie type dogs as she walked with her mum, two sisters and cousin on Silver Sands beach in Aberdour.

Her mum, Mhairi Munro, had to carry her daughter off the sand because of the pain and lifeguards there gave her daughter oxygen before she was taken to hospital by paramedics.

Maggie's parents are now urging dog owners to be mindful of their pets when off leads and around children in public places.

Maggie Munro was knocked over by the dogs as they played on Silver Sands beach in Aberdour, Fife.

Mrs Munro, who is from Duddingston and was visiting her brother in Fife at the time, told the Edinburgh Evening News: "It was two dogs owned by two different owners and they were just playing and excited to see each other, but they basically ran full tilt and took Maggie out and skittled her. They just skiffed our nine month old who was sitting down by my feet at the time. I did not notice them coming straight towards us and it all happened in a flash.

"I scooped Maggie up and when I tried to put her back down on the sand, the minute her foot was on it I knew that was not possible, so I carried her off the sand to a grassy area and bench where my brother was sitting."

Mrs Munro said one of the dog owners came over to see how Maggie was but the owners of the other dog appeared to have disappeared without an apology after the incident last Thursday afternoon.

The 39-year-old mum of three said four paramedics moved her daughter onto a stretcher and drove her slowly to the Kirkcaldy's Victoria Hospital, where she underwent an anaesthetic and had the bone realigned and put in a cast from hip to toe.

Maggie had to have her leg on the back seat of the car on the way home from hospital on Saturday (left). The x-ray show the break to her femur bone.

X-rays taken at the time showed a clean break of Maggie's left femur bone just a few centimetres above the knee cap.

‘It could have been worse’

Medics at the hospital told the family these sorts of incidents happen more often than people might think, usually with older people being left with broken or twisted ankles as a result of being knocked over by dogs off the lead.

Maggie with her mum and younger sisters, Libby and Molly, before the incident (left) and in the pram with her dad, Gregor, afterwards.

Mrs Munro's husband, Gregor, described the collision with his daughter as an accident but said: "Should your dog be running around at full tilt when other people are around? Maybe owners should rein them in around kids.

"These were decent sized dogs going at high speed and, in some way, it's lucky Molly did not bear the brunt because the situation could have been worse.

"We don't hate dogs, it's not about that. It's just really about people being aware and it maybe seems like a freak event - but apparently it's not."

Doctors could not say if the break was caused by the impact of the collision itself or the way in which Maggie fell to the ground, and the youngster is looking at six to eight weeks in a cast for her recovery with weekly monitoring.

Mrs Munro said her daughter has been using a tiny zimmer frame to move around the house but she still needs her mum or dad to be there to support her leg - and they are expecting to get a wheelchair on Friday which will provide more security and comfort.

Despite what happened, Mr Munro says his daughter still appears to be keen on the idea of getting a family dog.

He described his daughter as a "little trooper" and says the family have managed to get outside for some fresh air by wheeling Maggie around in her little sister's pram.

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