Saturday 17 December 2011

Man’s Best Friend…

The owner of a Jack Russell has been left nursing wounds after a vicious dog attack in Torquay.

Des Harding, 70, was walking with his wife and two dogs near Reddenhill Road when a 'pit bull-type' animal attacked one of his pets.

The larger dog had been tied to a lamppost but slipped its chain, ran over and wrapped its jaws around the Jack Russell's neck.

As Mr Harding, who suffers from emphysema, tried to get the dog off he fell, injuring his knee and shoulder. He also suffered a bite wound to his arm.
And the police (predictably) turn out to be useless:
When police arrived he was told there was nothing they could do because he had intervened in a dog fight.
/facepalm

We’ve been here before, of course. He’s unlucky in his choice of police farce…
Mr Harding was treated at the scene by ambulance as he struggled to catch his breath.

His dog, Daisy Mai, needed a staple in her neck.

The couple have been left to pick up the £52 vet bill.
Because there’s no point in suing the lowlife, they’d never see their money back.
A police spokesman confirmed no further action would be taken.

"It only becomes a police matter if the dog or animal attacked a person," he said.

"But the owner of the animal has been advised to consider putting a muzzle on."
Here’s hoping he doesn’t, and the next person it bites is a cop who just can't be bothered to do his job…

Meanwhile, in Reading:
A mum has told of her terror as she was attacked by two Rottweiler-type dogs while out with her granddaughter and her own dog.
This time, the police are interested (well, as far as anyone can tell).
Reading police are investigating. The rottweilers were wearing silver chains and were with two men and a woman who are possibly of Eastern European origin.
Because they didn’t understand English, apparently. Lovely…

On the other hand, some council staff do clearly go the extra mile, and they should be commended for this:
The owner of a vicious dog that attacked and killed a Walthamstow man’s beloved pet has been tracked down.

Jean-Francois Dor, 47, put out an appeal for information in the Guardian last week on the pitbull-type dog that mauled his jack russell Judy.

Waltham Forest Council’s Dog Enforcement Team, together with the Chapel End Safer Neighbourhood Team, worked hard to locate the owner and dog.

Now the owner has been located officers are investigating the incident with a view to prosecution.
Good. Because they deserve a clinical authoritative eye cast on their lives:
Immediately following the attack Mr Dor confronted the owners but after violent threats the man and woman fled the scene along with two children and their two dogs.
Put them down.

And the dogs…

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seems to be some disparity between forces over dog matters. We would have crimed that as an 'assault' on the old chap albeit for statistical purposes. Owner would probably have got a caution and we would support the chap in any claim for damages in a civil court.

Member of my family was involved in an injury Road Collision a few years ago. That force never investigated, told them go through insurance. My force has always investigated injury road accidents, even those on car parks. We don't have set standards nationwide.

blueknight said...

...disparity between forces over dog matters.
Because there is confusion between the 1871 Dogs Act, the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act and Sec 28 of the 1847 Town Police Clauses Act.
Some of the laws work dog on dog, some only work dog on human. Some only work in public, some public and private. Some fine/imprison the owner and order the muzzling leashing/destroying the dog. Some only order the muzzling leashing. Some only order destruction if there has been bite after a previous order to leash muzzle.
The main problem is none of the laws take account of current chav mentality.

JuliaM said...

"Seems to be some disparity between forces over dog matters."

Over lots of things, yes, but dogs do seem to stand out...

"The main problem is none of the laws take account of current chav mentality."

Indeed. And I'm not holding out much hope for the proposed new one, either.