Why Are These Things Never Dealt With The First Time?

The owner of a large Bullmastiff that killed a woman's beloved dog and injured her during a tussle has been handed...

The ashes of his mutt and a huge bill for damages?

...a community order.

*sighs*  

The charge related to an incident on June 17 last year when Devaney's dog, Buster, escaped from his garden and attacked Margaret Simmonite's pet dog, Harry.

The court heard how Mrs Simmonite suffered cuts to her finger trying to restrain Buster and then had the traumatic experience of paying vet bills to have Harry put down, due to his injuries.

It came after Buster had already attacked Harry three years prior to this altercation.

It should have been destroyed as a dangerous dog then and there. Not reliant on the owner keeping others safe from his beast.  

When sentencing he said: “Unfortunately, as we both know, it was simply, simply the failure to check that the gate was at least fastened, locked up, to which led directly, and there’s no other way of putting it, to the death of Mrs Simmonite’s dog, Harry, and inevitably caused some injury to her when she tried to restrain Buster."

He outlined that other than checking on everything all the time, Devaney's only other possible preventative measure was to get rid of Buster, which he did "unfortunately after the damage was done".

When it's too late. As usual.