Just in case anyone failed to watch this when it came out a couple of months ago. Be warned, there are some upsetting scenes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tcfmp
Tuesday 23 November 2010
No such thing as a dangerous dog
Today saw the happy return of one of my favourite little clients, a small Yorkshire terrier called D. D was a fairly regular client of 4Paws along with his 'sister' B until earlier this year. Tragedy struck when D and B were being walked on Hampstead Heath, near the South End Green fair ground site. Out of the blue the dogs were attacked by a staffie/mastiff cross and poor B was mauled to death. The killer dog was being walked by a couple of youths who fled with their dogs after the attack. That's right, once their dog had savaged another in an unprovoked attack they turned around and left it to die. Despicable.
Despite D & B's owners' best efforts the owners and dogs responsible for this attack have not been brought to justice. After all they don't care, nor apparently do the police. Today was D's first day of daycare since the attack and he brought with him his new baby sister 'G' a beautiful 5 month old Yorkie.
But this sad tale isn't over . A few weeks ago G and D were once again attacked by a pair of staffie/mastiff crosses on Hampstead Heath. This time on the tree lined avenue leading from East Heath Road, just near the water fountain. At the time of the attack G weighed just 1.5 kilos, she was set upon by a much larger dog who made a beeline for her. Despite the dog wearing a muzzle G suffered serious injuries, her eye was prolapsed and it was feared she might lose the sight in it. However, after several weeks of hospital treatment G is doing really well and we were happy to meet her properly today.
When B was attacked I offered my sympathies to the owners and tried to reassure them by saying it was an unlucky, one in a million event. Yet less than 6 months later the very same thing happened in the same place. Despite living only five minutes from some of the most beautiful outdoor space London has to offer D's owners will no longer walk him and G on Hampstead Heath, and who can blame them?
Such attacks are clearly not random or isolated, if you ask dog walkers on the Heath all know of someone who has had a dog recently attacked. Almost without exception these dogs have been attacked by staffie/mastiff mixes and Rottweilers.
It is outrageous that such a large dog walking community should live in fear of these animals. Just the other day I met a man with a young staffie that was being walked off the lead and without a collar. I asked myself how he expected to control the dog should a dangerous situation present itself. Similarly there is an owner who is now being avoided as he has an out of control young staffie and an older rescue Rottie. Too many people who have seen the animals 'at play' have mentioned that this pair are an accident waiting to happen.
We in the UK are known to be animal lovers yet it appears to be a twisted combination of naivete and political correctness that allows dangerous dogs to walk the street leaving death and destruction in their wake. Far too many people hold staffies up as loyal and friendly dogs yet they are the number one animal killer on our streets and their presence has left many dog owners terrified.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers were bred to fight and kill, they have a strong prey drive and tend to be very dog aggressive. Anybody who tells you otherwise is lying. Yes, there are some that are lovely but I would never trust one not to turn, it is in their nature. I don't judge the staffies for being like this anymore than I judge a lion for killing its prey. I lay the blame at the feet of a society that is burying its head in the sand and is unwilling to accept that we really have created a monster.
Mainly, however, I feel sad, sad that so many of these dogs are being bred, sad that they are being used as a status symbol and encouraged to fight, sad for the hundreds of pet owners (myself included) who have suffered the heartache of having their pet savaged by someone else's, sad for every dog who is killed unnecessarily, sad for the scarred and traumatised survivors like Dulce and Gigi, and sad that so many of these killer dogs end up being euthanised.
This problem is already out of hand. I, like many other small dog owners, no longer walk my dog in the local parks of Islington, nor on the streets near my home. Why? because I can guarantee that I will see staffie after staffie, many of them without leads or even collars and I don't want to have my dog dicing with death.
Did I mention that there's apparently no such thing as a dangerous dog?
Despite D & B's owners' best efforts the owners and dogs responsible for this attack have not been brought to justice. After all they don't care, nor apparently do the police. Today was D's first day of daycare since the attack and he brought with him his new baby sister 'G' a beautiful 5 month old Yorkie.
But this sad tale isn't over . A few weeks ago G and D were once again attacked by a pair of staffie/mastiff crosses on Hampstead Heath. This time on the tree lined avenue leading from East Heath Road, just near the water fountain. At the time of the attack G weighed just 1.5 kilos, she was set upon by a much larger dog who made a beeline for her. Despite the dog wearing a muzzle G suffered serious injuries, her eye was prolapsed and it was feared she might lose the sight in it. However, after several weeks of hospital treatment G is doing really well and we were happy to meet her properly today.
When B was attacked I offered my sympathies to the owners and tried to reassure them by saying it was an unlucky, one in a million event. Yet less than 6 months later the very same thing happened in the same place. Despite living only five minutes from some of the most beautiful outdoor space London has to offer D's owners will no longer walk him and G on Hampstead Heath, and who can blame them?
Such attacks are clearly not random or isolated, if you ask dog walkers on the Heath all know of someone who has had a dog recently attacked. Almost without exception these dogs have been attacked by staffie/mastiff mixes and Rottweilers.
It is outrageous that such a large dog walking community should live in fear of these animals. Just the other day I met a man with a young staffie that was being walked off the lead and without a collar. I asked myself how he expected to control the dog should a dangerous situation present itself. Similarly there is an owner who is now being avoided as he has an out of control young staffie and an older rescue Rottie. Too many people who have seen the animals 'at play' have mentioned that this pair are an accident waiting to happen.
We in the UK are known to be animal lovers yet it appears to be a twisted combination of naivete and political correctness that allows dangerous dogs to walk the street leaving death and destruction in their wake. Far too many people hold staffies up as loyal and friendly dogs yet they are the number one animal killer on our streets and their presence has left many dog owners terrified.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers were bred to fight and kill, they have a strong prey drive and tend to be very dog aggressive. Anybody who tells you otherwise is lying. Yes, there are some that are lovely but I would never trust one not to turn, it is in their nature. I don't judge the staffies for being like this anymore than I judge a lion for killing its prey. I lay the blame at the feet of a society that is burying its head in the sand and is unwilling to accept that we really have created a monster.
Mainly, however, I feel sad, sad that so many of these dogs are being bred, sad that they are being used as a status symbol and encouraged to fight, sad for the hundreds of pet owners (myself included) who have suffered the heartache of having their pet savaged by someone else's, sad for every dog who is killed unnecessarily, sad for the scarred and traumatised survivors like Dulce and Gigi, and sad that so many of these killer dogs end up being euthanised.
This problem is already out of hand. I, like many other small dog owners, no longer walk my dog in the local parks of Islington, nor on the streets near my home. Why? because I can guarantee that I will see staffie after staffie, many of them without leads or even collars and I don't want to have my dog dicing with death.
Did I mention that there's apparently no such thing as a dangerous dog?
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