POLICE are looking to trace a dog owner following a man’s death two weeks after the animal knocked him over.
The incident happened as the 84-year-old man and a boy were walking along the Forth and Clyde canal path, near the northern end of the Erskine Bridge in West Dunbartonshire, on Monday May 22.
A woman was walking with a dog while approaching the pair when the dog jumped up, knocking the man to the ground.
The woman stopped and helped the man before she continued walking in the direction of Bowling Basin.
Later that evening, the man became unwell and attended hospital where he received treatment for the injuries he sustained, before passing away on Monday June 5.
The death is not being treated as suspicious, but police said wider inquiries into the circumstances of his death are ongoing.
They are appealing to find the dog owner while inquiries continue.
Sergeant John Robertson of Police Scotland said: “Since police were notified of the incident and the subsequent death of the man, a number of inquiries have been conducted and our thoughts remain with his family who have lost their loved one.
“This turn of events will likely come as a shock to the dog’s owner, and it is imperative to the investigation that they are identified and traced.
“We have a limited description of the dog, which is thought to have been approximately knee height to an adult and black in colour.
“This is an area frequented by locals and dog walkers. I would appeal directly to the woman involved in this incident to come forward, or anyone who could have information relevant to the enquiry that can help us in tracing her and the dog.”
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2094 of 25 May 2023.
Anonymous reports can also be submitted to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
