Dangerous Dog - Brutal Attack on Queensthorpe Road

[SepticSkeptic]

News Shopper article here..........

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11576 ... _Lewisham/

A rather depressing comment from the dog owner after this article, police just don't seem to be interested in this sort of incident.

Chemo for dogs. Talk about first world problems. Also...
The dog has diarrhea so she took it to public park to let it all run out. How pleasant.

I do have sympathy when people lose something important. But three cats?

[Tim Lund]

Chemo for dogs. Talk about first world problems. Also...

Indeed. We once had a neighbour who spent silly money, which she could not afford, saving a cat who'd had a leg crushed by a car. Fond as I am of my cat, there's a point where economic rationality kicks in ...

The dog has diarrhea so she took it to public park to let it all run out. How pleasant.

I do have sympathy when people lose something important. But three cats?

OTOH, the fact is that people do feel as they do about their cats, and this sort of story will create fear of being outside, not just for pets but for their owners if they think this might happen. It will also deter owners of miniture breeds from walking them in the park.

Yes it's less important than, say cyclists getting killed by lorries, but it does no good to dismiss it.

[bensonby]

News Shopper article here..........

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11576116.Cat_killed_and_dog_in_critical_condition_following_double_dog_attack_in_Lewisham/

A rather depressing comment from the dog owner after this article, police just don't seem to be interested in this sort of incident.

It's not that the police "aren't interested". If the law isn't broken then they physically can't do anything. As I said above, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 does not cover dog attacks on other animals.

[SepticSkeptic]

Bit harsh Rod.

Tim - really not dismissing the pain of loss. But think the likely several thousand pounds on chemo is excessive and raises real ethical questions.

My opinions have little impact. One of mine is that having 3 cats in a built up area is pretty antisocial. Ho hum.

[Annie.]

Well said Rod

[Eagle]

Rod/ Annie

I agree the attach horrific and I would not have liked to have witnessed it. Did not realise they were a first time poster and again many condolences.

However there are many who are are not great cat lovers , especially lovers of birds and gardens.
I still find it incredible a dog actually caught a cat. As stated I remember getting our dog to run down the garden to get rid of the alien cats digging up the garden. He never got near to catching one.

Also It is , in my opinion , very strange that the same people who get upset about dogs killing cats , hardly blink when their darling pussies decimate our bird population.

My above comments are not meant to offend , just to ask questions which I think are very logical .

[stuart]

However there are many who are are not great cat lovers , especially lovers of birds and gardens ... very strange that the same people who get upset about dogs killing cats , hardly blink when their darling pussies decimate our bird population ... just to ask questions which I think are very logical .

I am truly shocked that you 'love' birds (mostly undocumented foreign migrants) - who do rather more than decimate our true British born insect population. Have you no compassion - or shotgun?

Stuart

[mosy]

All cats are different Eagle. I've never been a cat owner but I do know that some are very friendly and others are so timid that even people (strangers) can't get within 20 yards of them. The poor cat in question clearly had a loving environment and might not even have perceived a threat. Heartbreaking.

Hopefully if the owner and dog are are seen by anyone on here, they'll report sightings. I agree with Tim Lund about making areas (streets & parks) scary. What bothers me about this incident particularly (from reading what's been written) is that the owner appeared to know his dog was volatile yet didn't even keep it on a lead. Words fail me.

[Eagle]

True many birds migrants but surely cats are not native to these Isles !! Not sure what that has got to do with
the different standards for birds and cats. Also cat owners should keep cats to their own garden.
Those that to stray to other peoples gardens should not be surprised if owners object.

Whilst being a dog lover I do agree the offending gentleman and his doggie should both be put down.

[Annie.]

Rod/ Annie

I agree the attach horrific and I would not have liked to have witnessed it. Did not realise they were a first time poster and again many condolences.

However there are many who are are not great cat lovers , especially lovers of birds and gardens.
I still find it incredible a dog actually caught a cat. As stated I remember getting our dog to run down the garden to get rid of the alien cats digging up the garden. He never got near to catching one.

Also It is , in my opinion , very strange that the same people who get upset about dogs killing cats , hardly blink when their darling pussies decimate our bird population.

My above comments are not meant to offend , just to ask questions which I think are very logical .

Eagle, my "well said Rod" was aimed at his comments regarding septicskeptic lack of compassion.

[Tim Lund]

Whilst being a dog lover I do agree the offending gentleman and his doggie should both be put down.

You're trolling again

[Eagle]

Mon Dieu . Das ist night gut. Rob what the hell are you talking about.

I put many times that I symphasise with the good lady and offered condolences.

I did say must have been horrific. Not sure what more one could say.

My comments about various wild life is I believe relevant.

[Hissing Syd]

Hi Gabrielle Boyle,

Small comfort, I know, but just to offer enormous and heartfelt sympathy - I hope things improve for you and your daughter soon and that the dog's owner doesn't get away with this.

[gabrielleboyle]

UPDATE: Thank you so much for all of your advice, concern, support and kind words.

The incident was reported to the Police, the council, the dog warden, the Community support officers, the safer neighbourhood team, and The RSPCA.

We have been told by pretty much everyone that there is little that can be done, unless we know where the man lives.
We know that he lives around the Mayow Park Area, as a number of our neighbours have seen him walking his dogs in the park.

On the night this happened the owner said he was shocked and that it was "the most brutal thing he had ever seen" and that his dog had never done anything like this before. The next day he to my house with a bunch of flowers and said that his dog has attacked cats and dog before and that he would now have the dog "put down" on saturday at Battersea Dogs Home. The dog warden has check to see if there was any record of the dog at Battersea and there is not.

The dog warden has told me that I can push for a prosecution but that he will only get a £75 pound fine and I will have to take him to court and give a statement in order to force his to pay, they also said that they may have to exhume the cat's body from the grave to get this done. She also warned me that there might be repercussions if I pursue this as the man knows where I live. If only the dog had been on a lead this would not have happened.

The police have told me that because the attack didn't involve a human they can't do anything. The community police officers told me that there have been a number of dog attack in the Mayow Park Area in the last few weeks and months, involving dogs and cats and one involving a child.

I have started and online petition to insist that dogs are kept on leads in residential areas, please sign it, forward to anyone you can and post it wherever you can. Maybe it will help stop anyone else from ending up in this situation.

http://chn.ge/1zxUk3F

Thank you so much again for your help, advice and support, I really appreciate it at this sad time for my family. The loss of a dearly loved pet really is like losing a member of your family, and I will miss my cat so much. It was such a senseless waste of live and such a horrific death. Hopefully we can stop this from happening to anyone else.

http://chn.ge/1zxUk3F

[mosy]

As the item has already been reported by News Shopper, have you asked if they'll do a follow-up piece indicating the official less-than-positive responses you received and highlighting your petition? Could try London Evening Standard too.

Would any of the officials you contacted be prepared to give you statistics, i.e. the number of reported incidents (pets or children) that could be used (publicly) to support a news item and your petition. If not, a Freedom of Information request perhaps?

[michael]

On the night this happened the owner said he was shocked and that it was "the most brutal thing he had ever seen" and that his dog had never done anything like this before. The next day he to my house with a bunch of flowers and said that his dog has attacked cats and dog before and that he would now have the dog "put down" on saturday at Battersea Dogs Home. The dog warden has check to see if there was any record of the dog at Battersea and there is not.

The dog warden has told me that I can push for a prosecution but that he will only get a £75 pound fine and I will have to take him to court and give a statement in order to force his to pay, they also said that they may have to exhume the cat's body from the grave to get this done. She also warned me that there might be repercussions if I pursue this as the man knows where I live. If only the dog had been on a lead this would not have happened.

The police have told me that because the attack didn't involve a human they can't do anything. The community police officers told me that there have been a number of dog attack in the Mayow Park Area in the last few weeks and months, involving dogs and cats and one involving a child.

I would encourage you to take legal action to ensure the dog is destroyed. It has attacked before and it will attack again, especially in the hands of an irresponsible owner.
You could chose to inform the owner that all court action will cease when the dog has been destroyed.
As with most crimes involving violence or anti-social behaviour, reporting it will not undo the damage done, but may prevent it happening to somebody else.

[Bunty]

There is another post under lost and found, detailing another brutal cat attack by a dog on Queensthorpe Road. Are these related cases? It's awful to think that this could happen again!