Monday 5 August 2013

Yes, It Is Your Fault, But The Law Won’t Let Us Put You Down…

Liz Johns, of Queen’s Drive, was horrified when her four-year-old Japanese Akita Gigsy attacked 11-year-old Lucy near Henley Road, at around 10.30am on July 10.
I doubt, however, that she was surprised.
The 49-year-old, who has a stress-related illness said: “I never walk him on the same pavement as other people and other dogs because he’s too iffy, and he is nasty with other dogs.“
Now, I know pets are supposed to be good for stress, but presumably not the sort that need to be handled as if they were full of gelignite?
“I’m so horrified and it is horrible. The worst of it is he just holds on, and he’s panicking too, and I’m smacking him on the head to try and make him let go. It was me who saved her dog.
Well, no. If not for you, and your thoughtlessness in keeping a dog you know to be dangerous and over which you have no control, she wouldn't have been in any danger in the first place, and you wouldn't be saddled with having to pay another dog owner's vet bill.

You did do the decent thing, I hope?
Once Gigsy had let Lucy go, Liz said Sharon quickly left the scene before she had a chance to speak with her.
She said: “I went home and called my vets to see if the little mite had been taken in. I called the police to make sure it was logged on the computers in case it escalated.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t even afford to pay the vet.”
*hurls PC across room*
Gigsy had been involved in two other incidents more than a year ago but Liz said on both occasions he was the one who was attacked.
She said: “What worsened it for me is after the first attack I started receiving threats from other walkers, and one of them said they were planning to get a gun and shoot my dog.
I'm not bloody surprised! Two incidents is too many, now it's three, and you are here in the local paper trying to play the victim!
“I can understand their anger, but they are as bad as the dog for threatening something like that. That really frightened me.
“I’ve met people on walks and they are really surprised how friendly he is.
“He used to be really sociable, but he was trained badly by a shared partner who wanted a macho dog, who held him on a lead and made him anxious.”
Great! Your taste in bedmates is as poor as your taste in dogs!
She said: “I’m devastated because my dog’s done this. He should have had a muzzle, I know that I’m the guilty one and I am the perpetrator. I know what he’s done is wrong, and it’s me, not him.”
Sadly, he's going to be the one facing the needle.

9 comments:

staybryte said...

What's a "shared partner"? Actually on second thoughts I'm not sure I want to know.....

Mr Grumpy said...

Something to be addressed by a new round of marriage reform.

Anonymous said...

Looking at the state of her, I should imagine her partner left after Gigsy bit his guide dog.

Demetrius said...

Very interesting, according to the maps this would be the Queens Drive and Henley Road in Liverpool of all places. How things have changed.

wiggiatlarge said...

Another instance of a totally unsuitable breed in the hands of a numpty.I have in the past commented at large on this but shall refrain as it seems a waste of time.
Please refer to paragraph re Temperament here,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akita_(dog)

John Pickworth said...

... this would be the Queens Drive and Henley Road in Liverpool

Liverpool?

Try here: Henley Road, Swindon

Anonymous said...

Isn't this the place where Father's Day cards are sold in packs of 5? Clarkson's Law should prevail.
Penseivat

Woman on a Raft said...

She is indeed unsuitable to have this dog or any other. I notice the photo has the dog in a fabric muzzle which she mistakenly thinks is OK. I checked them out - they are used in specific settings such as surgeries for short-term use. They aren't suitable for walking as the suppliers make absolutely clear:-

These Cloth Muzzles are designed for short-term use. They should be used as a temporary restraint only! Use only with direct supervision and never leave your pet unattended while wearing a Cloth Muzzle. Failure to do so could result in inhibiting the dog's panting (it's natural cooling mechanism) producing a life threatening situation. You should also be aware that most dogs can still bite while wearing an open-faced muzzle. Dogs wearing a Cloth Muzzle cannot pant or drink water while wearing them. If you are interested in a muzzle designed to be worn for extended periods of time, please check out our Imported Wire Basket Muzzles.


Ms Johns seems to think that the dog can pant and drink - it cannot, as reading the packet would have advised her. I don't much care for or about dogs but I do not think they should be accidentally hurt. Either this dog needs to be rehomed or destroyed. Trying to keep it is not in the interest of her, the public or even the poor old dog.

JuliaM said...

"What's a "shared partner"?"

I hope that's just her way of saying they shared the dog.

Though on second thoughts, that sounds worse!

"...I should imagine her partner left after Gigsy bit his guide dog."

LOL!

"Another instance of a totally unsuitable breed in the hands of a numpty."

Very popular with the chaverati at one time. Now overtaken by mastiff-types.

"She is indeed unsuitable to have this dog or any other. "

I'm not entirely sure she's suitable to be in charge of herself...