Friday 9 September 2011

Modern Tories May Be Toothless….

…but their alleged pets are decidedly less so:
A distraught family is planning legal action against their neighbours after their children's pet rabbits were savagely killed by two rottweilers.
Jack and Katie Williams' beloved pets were attacked after a gang of four dogs, allegedly belonging to Romford councillor Damian White (Ed: it seems the local paper can’t confirm who does own the beasts, though the police surely know…), broke down the fence and burst into their garden.
So, potentially-dangerous dogs trespassing in your property? Sounds like a job for the police!

Not so:
Full-time mum, Mrs Williams, 33, called the police and was originally told the matter was one for the council.
Officers were eventually dispatched to the house, along with a dog handling unit.
Oh, great, well, at least they turned up in the end. Perhaps they’d all read ‘Cujo’?
"The police rang us the next day to say that they would be returning the dogs because it happened on private land and is a civil matter.
"A number of people around the area have had trouble with these dogs and are scared of them.
"We've received no apology or explanation from the owners, it's disgraceful.
"We've since found out that the dogs allegedly belong to Janice and Damian White.
"Damian is a local Tory councillor for Romford. It's not setting a good example by not even coming to speak to us after the incident. We're pursuing legal action and the matter's with our solicitor."
I hope you win, I really do. The more people are held responsible for their dogs’ actions, the better.
A spokesman for Essex police, said: "Police were contacted shortly before 10am on Monday, August 22 by a woman whose pet rabbits had been killed by two dogs in her garden.
"Officers attended and seized the dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act and after speaking to the owners the matter is now a civil one."
Translation: ‘We can’t be bothered, we don’t want to fall out with a councillor!’
After trying to contact Janice and Damian White the Chronicle was unable to receive a comment from them regarding the incident.
Try asking again at election time…

Next time, Mrs Williams, I suggest you remember the case of Mark Deeley, rather than rely on Essex Police Farce.

6 comments:

Botzarelli said...

Unfortunately the Dangerous Dogs Act only applies to dogs in public places. An enclosed back garden is not a public place (a front garden open to the street probably would be).

blueknight said...

...the Dangerous Dogs Act only applies to dogs in public places....
Correct, but the old law did. The 'new' Dogs law was rushed through and it does not do what it says on the tin. It really needs to to be re jigged.

Hexe Froschbein said...

Those doggies are no more dangerous than people's beloved foxes, and probably less vicious too... or so 8():

The cure for people who let dogs roam in your garden and is to 'take the dogs over' and teach them 'interesting' tricks and feed them certain foods that will entertain the owner greatly, once his pooches return home.

It does not take long to make any dogs yours if you know how to train animals, and of course if the animal turns up voluntary, it's also not illegal to mess with it, enjoy! Remember, cues for the animal do not have to be words, it can be gestures, and you can train them to play with objects too, as an example, flushing the loo repeatedly is not only fun for cats, but dogs can get to like it too! (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXDD3JN4FGQ)

As the lazier but probably most effective method, you can also set a (humane) fox trap with some bait -- a rotten carcasses to roll in and munch on is excellent (although a bit of rank tripe has it's attractions too and it can be pre-rotted and then frozen for convenience) and then call the cops or the owner to retrieve the beast once it's suitably perfumed.

Dead Dog Bounce said...

Let's all ask CCO what their view is of anti-social neighbours.

This guy needs a shot across his bows.

Dead Dog Bounce said...

@Hexe

While it might be fun to fantasize about create, non-lethal pay-back, it entirely missed the point.

The councillor should be looking at legal proceedings.

As I said to the market-researcher hired by the Met after some property was stolen from me, as far as I was concerned, I'd have been better off if the police didn't exist.

In cases like this, or the child-snatching social workers, I'm amazed there isn't a body count. If I were the injured party, I'd scarcely be in control of my actions.

JuliaM said...

"Unfortunately the Dangerous Dogs Act only applies to dogs in public places. "

Does it? I've got lots of cases where the police have acted while on home property (admittedly, these were people being attacked and even killed, but even so...).

"The 'new' Dogs law was rushed through and it does not do what it says on the tin."

Along with the Dunblane handgun ban, one of the most pointless, kneejerk pieces of legislation in our history.

"It does not take long to make any dogs yours if you know how to train animals..."

Indeed. Sadly, most of the social inadequates who own these beasts can't train themselves. So expecting any better from their animals would be a mistake.

"This guy needs a shot across his bows."

A bit lower than that, perhaps...