Jaroslan Bednarek, from Glencraig Manor, Antrim, was told at Antrim Magistate's Court sitting at Ballymena, that his three month prison sentence is suspended for two years. And his dog, Roxter, is now under a destruction order.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council brought charges against the dog owner under the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 and Bednarek pleaded guilty at Antrim Magistrates Court on June 28, 2023 following an investigation conducted by a Council Enforcement Officer.

Charges were brought against Bednarek for being the owner of a dog which attacked a person and for the contravention of control conditions already attached to the licence of the dog.

A report was received by the Council from a member of the public who had been cycling in the Glencraig Manor area of Antrim in September 2022 when a German Shepherd type dog being walked by Bednarek attacked her, biting her leg and pulling her off her bike and to the ground. She was left with considerable injuries and required medical treatment.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The dog in question had previously attacked a person in September 2019 and was subject to additional control measures requiring the dog to be on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public."

In 2019 he was ordered to ensure his dog was securely fitted with a muzzle sufficient to prevent the animal from biting any person when in public place, and also ordered that the dog be kept under control on a lead, when in public place.

Four years on, Bednarek who was present in court regarding the same dog in June, entered guilty pleas to two charges and his case was adjourned to August 23, to allow for a pre-sentence report.

He was subsequently convicted on both charges and was handed a three month custodial sentence suspended for two years. He was fined £500, ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to the injured cyclist and also ordered to pay legal costs of £322. He was given 26 weeks to pay.

The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the German Shepherd.

However the dog owner indicated his intention to appeal the sentence and the destruction order was suspended pending this outcome.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cooper said: "The Council places a strong emphasis in the investigation of all offences under dog control legislation. Incidents involving attacks on people and animals are investigated rigorously and formal action, such as prosecution is taken, as demonstrated in this particular case.

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/dog-owner-handed-suspended-sentence-27613137

On 30/08/2023 04:45 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Jaroslan Bednarek, from Glencraig Manor, Antrim, was told at Antrim Magistate's Court sitting at Ballymena, that his three month prison sentence is suspended for two years. And his dog, Roxter, is now under a destruction order.

> Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council brought charges against the dog owner under the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 and Bednarek pleaded guilty at Antrim Magistrates Court on June 28, 2023 following an investigation conducted by a Council Enforcement Officer.
>
> Charges were brought against Bednarek for being the owner of a dog which attacked a person and for the contravention of control conditions already attached to the licence of the dog.
>
> A report was received by the Council from a member of the public who had been cycling in the Glencraig Manor area of Antrim in September 2022 when a German Shepherd type dog being walked by Bednarek attacked her, biting her leg and pulling her off her bike and to the ground. She was left with considerable injuries and required medical treatment.
>
> A spokesperson for the council said: "The dog in question had previously attacked a person in September 2019 and was subject to additional control measures requiring the dog to be on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public."
>
> In 2019 he was ordered to ensure his dog was securely fitted with a muzzle sufficient to prevent the animal from biting any person when in public place, and also ordered that the dog be kept under control on a lead, when in public place.
>
> Four years on, Bednarek who was present in court regarding the same dog in June, entered guilty pleas to two charges and his case was adjourned to August 23, to allow for a pre-sentence report.
>
> He was subsequently convicted on both charges and was handed a three month custodial sentence suspended for two years. He was fined £500, ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to the injured cyclist and also ordered to pay legal costs of £322. He was given 26 weeks to pay.
>
> The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the German Shepherd.
>
> However the dog owner indicated his intention to appeal the sentence and the destruction order was suspended pending this outcome.
>
> Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cooper said: "The Council places a strong emphasis in the investigation of all offences under dog control legislation. Incidents involving attacks on people and animals are investigated rigorously and formal action, such as prosecution is taken, as demonstrated in this particular case.
>
> https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/dog-owner-handed-suspended-sentence-27613137

There is a longstanding belief that dogs are excellent judges of character.

Capital punishment for following one's instincts does seem rather harsh.

QUOTE: The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the German Shepherd. ENDS

That will hurt him more than the near two grand hit to his pocket.

On Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 5:05:21 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE: The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the German Shepherd. ENDS
>
> That will hurt him more than the near two grand hit to his pocket.

Could have been much worse:

QUOTE: Four-year-old Alice Stones died following a dog attack in Netherfield, Milton Keynes on Tuesday 31st January. Police officers were called to a property in the Broadlands area at about 5pm on Tuesday, but Alice died at the scene. The dog was 'humanely destroyed.' ENDS

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 5:05:21 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> QUOTE: The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the
>> German Shepherd. ENDS
>>
>> That will hurt him more than the near two grand hit to his pocket.
>
> Could have been much worse:
>
> QUOTE: Four-year-old Alice Stones died following a dog attack in
> Netherfield, Milton Keynes on Tuesday 31st January. Police officers were
> called to a property in the Broadlands area at about 5pm on Tuesday, but
> Alice died at the scene. The dog was 'humanely destroyed.' ENDS

I see your unfortunately temporary absence from the group has done nothing
to diminish your revelling at the misfortunes of others. For example,
whatever was the point of posting about this tragedy, which had nothing
whatsoever to do with cycling?

--
Spike

The mum of a 10-year-old boy who died after being mauled by a dog has said ‘enough is enough’ as she calls for the law on dangerous dogs to be changed.

Jack Lis died in November 2021 in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, near Caerphilly, South Wales, after the attack by an XL Bully.

A further 15 people have died following dog attacks since Jack’s death, and there were nearly 22,000 cases of injuries from out of control dogs last year.

Now Jack’s mum, Emma Whitfield, is campaigning for a change in the law named after her son.

Emma, 32, said: ‘I still have terrible flashbacks. I still see the animal and its teeth. I hear the barking.

‘You relive it multiple times a day – it’s torture.

‘I still find it unbelievable. Sat on the sofa or on the way home, it hits you all over again.’

The dog which attacked Jack, called Beast, was an XL Bully – a breed developed from the American pit bull terrier, but not recognised by the UK Kennel Club.

Beast’s owner Brandon Hayden, then 19, was sentenced last June to just over four years at a young offenders’ institution, and Amy Salter, then 29, was jailed for three years, after they pleaded guilty to being in charge of an out of control dog.

Emma said: ‘Enough is enough. This has to stop.

‘It’s mind-blowing how it keeps happening. It should never have happened to Jack but why has nobody learned from this?

‘Innocent people are dying. The Government needs to act now.

‘It’s out of control and there are people losing their kids because of this. I want to stop this happening.’

The campaign for the Jack Lis Law is backed by the Mirror, the Dog Control Coalition which includes the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and Caerphilly’s MP Wayne David.

They’re calling for a different approach to dog legislation, which includes all dogs and instead focuses on breeding, training and the sale of dogs.

Emma says not all breeders or owners would need policing under new legislation, adding: ‘My problem is with backyard breeders who don’t care where the dogs go.

‘There is no reason why a dog needs to sell for £10,000 to go into a family home.

‘Certain type of dogs have become status symbols. To me it is not different than having a lethal weapon.’

Mr David, who has previously called for the reintroduction of dog licences, said: ‘We have to ask who is next?

‘There can be no doubt that radical reform is needed to dog law. This will only happen when everyone who is concerned pulls together.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/30/mum-of-boy-10-killed-in-xl-bully-dog-attack-calls-for-law-change-18865010/

On 30/08/2023 05:13 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 5:05:21 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>> QUOTE: The Judge made an automatic destruction order in respect of the German Shepherd. ENDS
>> That will hurt him more than the near two grand hit to his pocket.

> Could have been much worse:

> QUOTE: Four-year-old Alice Stones died following a dog attack in Netherfield, Milton Keynes on Tuesday 31st January. Police officers were called to a property in the Broadlands area at about 5pm on Tuesday, but Alice died at the scene. The dog was 'humanely destroyed.' ENDS

The law is fairy clear on dangerous dog breeds.

As you well know, Alsatians (pretentious people often call them German
Shepherds*) are not among them.

[They presumably think it makes them sound well-travelled.]

At least five children have been killed by dogs in the past year in the UK with a 26% rise in dangerous dog attacks since the pandemic began in 2020.

Four-year-old Alice Stones is the latest child to be mauled to death by a dog in an attack that shook the nation on Tuesday.

The dog, whose breed has not been identified, was shot dead by police as families queuing at a nearby food bank were told to get inside the church amid fears for their safety. Lancashire Police confirmed it was the family's pet.

A neighbour revealed they heard Alice’s mother screaming in the aftermath of the tragic incident before police arrived at the scene.

Alice's grandfather, who lives nearby, described the tragedy as "horrendous" and said the family are trying to come to terms with it.

The tragic girl's death follows those of Daniel John Twigg, three, Lawson Bond, two, Bella-Rae Birch, 17 months, Kyra Leanne King, three months, and Jack Lis, 10, who all died in horrendous dog attacks in recent years.

It is a striking contrast to the three child deaths recorded over a six-year period between 2013 and 2019, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Today the Mirror demands answers to the national complacency around dog attacks. Would there be the same inaction if the young victims were from wealthy families? Or, in modern Britain, are the lives of some children worth less protection than others?

An investigation last autumn showed a 26 per cent rise in attacks by dangerous dogs since the pandemic began in 2020.

The Mirror revealed nine fatal dog attacks against adults and children between January and October 2022 alone, making it the deadliest year on record.

Prior to this, the total number of deadly dog attacks per year remained at five or under, ONS research shows.

Previous data shows three deaths in 2013, four deaths in 2014, five deaths in 2015, four deaths in 2016, four deaths in 2017, zero deaths in 2018, two deaths in 2019, three deaths in 2020, and five deaths in 2021.

In these cases, the cause of death was registered as "bitten or struck by a dog."

It is estimated that there are now 12 million dogs in the UK, two million more than before lockdown. This amounts to around one dog for every five people.

Calls have been made for a change in the law with the RSPCA warning of a "tsunami of welfare and dog behaviour issues" since lockdown.

While the Metropolitan Police say legislation on dogs can be very complex and includes both criminal and civil offences, with legislation dating back to 1871.

The Mirror has been campaigning for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act in the wake of a string of fatalities, amid claims little is being done to stop them.

Labour MP for Caerphilly Wayne David last night backed our call.

He said: “There needs to be a rethink of the legislation. It is extremely worrying there’s yet another death.”

Here, we look at the most recent dog fatal dog attacks on children in England and Wales.
Alice Stones, age four

Four-year-old Alice Stones was mauled to death by a dog on Tuesday.

The toddler was at a property in Netherfield, Milton Keynes, when the canine pounced at around 5pm.

A neighbour recalled hearing Alice's mother scream before police arrived and the child was pronounced dead.

Another neighbour Rita Matthews, 36, said she would see the girl while walking her own daughter to school.

Mother-of-four Ms Matthews described the youngster as a "happy little girl, very happy".

"She would say, 'Bye, auntie', and I would say, 'Bye, little girl'," she said. "You know kids, playing around," she added.

Another local said: “It’s an absolute tragedy. Alice was so sweet. She was an angel.

"I know the girl. It's so sad to hear that news.

"She was always holding her mummy's hand on the way back.

"It's so sad we're not going to see the girl again and I pray all the best to her mum to get her strength back."

The animal was humanely destroyed and an investigation into the tragedy is underway.
Daniel John Twigg, age three

Three-year-old Daniel John Twigg went into cardiac arrest and died after he was attacked by a Cane Corso on May 15, 2022.

A heartbreaking inquest found that the tot suffered head and neck injuries after the dog attacked outside his home in Milnrow, Greater Manchester.

He was rushed to hospital but was unable to be saved by medics.

Police later arrested a 48-year-old man under the Dangerous Dogs Act in connection with the incident and the dog was put down.

After Daniel's death three separate women came forward claiming they were attacked in the same area.

Two-year-old Lawson Bond died of serious injuries after a dog attack in Egdon on March 28, 2022.

His family began to drive him to hospital but were told to stop at Worcester Woods Country Park on the advice of the ambulance service.

The toddler was blue-lighted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital and transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where he died on March 30.

Three Rottweilers were destroyed.

Bella-Rae Birch was 17-months-old when she was killed by her family's new dog at their home in St Helens, Merseyside.

A young paramedic and a neighbour tried helplessly to save Bella-Rae after she was savagely mauled by the pet on March 21, 2022.

The neighbour had rushed over to help after hearing the baby's screams and found her devastated mother Treysharn Bates "crying hysterically" outside the house.

Police were called shortly before 4pm and the child was rushed to hospital where she died fro her injuries.

The dog was handed over to police and humanely destroyed.

Just two weeks earlier on March 6, Kyra Leanne King was killed at a dog walking spot in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.

She was pronounced dead at the scene having experienced horrific injuries to her neck and head, after a husky sled dog called Blizzard attacked her.

Speaking at the time, locals claimed the animal’s owners regularly raced it and other huskies on converted ‘sleds’ after dark at the popular forest.

Kyra's mum and dad have both been charged with being the owner and/or in charge of a dog which was out of control causing injury resulting in death.

Karen Alcock, 41, pleaded guilty while Vince King, 54, denies the charge.

Alcock will be sentenced this year while King will stand trial in June.

Schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, was mauled to death by an American XL Bully while visiting a friend's home in November 2021.

Police were forced to shoot dead the pet after arriving at the scene in Penyrheol in Caerphilly, Wales.

His heartbroken mum Emma Whitfield said the dog, named Beast, attacked her son's face and neck.

But Emma added she tries to remember him going out earlier that day "with his skateboard in his hands" rather than the horror of his final moments

The dog's owners Brandon Hayden and Amy Salter were later jailed.

American Bullies are not a banned breed in the UK but have been responsible for a rising number of fatalities in recent months.

Little Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was just 12 days old when he was savaged to death by a pet dog on September 13, 2020.

The newborn suffered 40 puncture wounds after being brutally attacked by the Chow Chow Alsatian cross called Teddy which was "dangerously out of control.

Teddy was owned by the baby's dad Stephen Joynes, 36, who was jailed for four years following the tragedy.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that the hellish incident took place at a family home shared by Joynes and his fiancée Abigail Ellis, 28, in Doncaster, Yorks.

Ms Ellis was charged alongside Joynes with the offence of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog, causing injury resulting in death.

She was due to stand trial, but charges against her were dropped after Joynes took full responsibility and admitted the charge.

He pleaded guilty at the same court last December to a charge of being the owner of a dog which caused death when dangerously out of control.

Dr Samantha Gaines, from the charity's companion animals department, explained that any dog has the potential to bite, so effective legislation for all breeds is necessary.

"We want to see effective breed neutral legislation and enforcement which focuses on early intervention so that incidents can be prevented from occurring or escalating, but they must be evidence based and proportionate," she said.

The animal expert extended the charity's condolences in the wake of the tragic death of Alice Stones.

She added: “The recent dog attack in Milton Keynes is a deeply sad incident and our thoughts are with all those affected by this little girl’s tragic loss at what will be an unimaginably difficult time.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dog-attack-britain-faces-children-29105478

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> At least five children have been killed by dogs in the past year in the
> UK with a 26% rise in dangerous dog attacks since the pandemic began in 2020.

Five deaths in a year is approximately the number of pedestrians killed by
cyclists in that time period. The cycling world’s response to this is to
dismiss those deaths as ‘only a handful’. So why this faux concern
expressed over an unrelated dog issue in a cycling group?

--
Spike

The parents of a three-month-old girl who was mauled to death by one of their husky dogs have been given suspended jail sentences.

A judge at Lincoln crown court on Monday said she had no doubt that Vince King, 55, and Karen Alcock, 41, wished every day that they could turn the clock back.

King and Alcock, who are now separated, had pleaded guilty to being in charge of an out-of-control dog.

The couple were racing 19 dogs in woods near Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire in March 2022 when the attack happened.

The court heard their baby Kyra was asleep in her pram when a female dog called Blizzard attacked her.

The dog, which will be put down, caused multiple head and neck injuries which proved fatal. Her parents performed CPR in an attempt to revive their daughter.

Judge Sjölin Knight said the death came about after a “tragic conjunction of circumstances”.

She said: “I have no doubt that both of you wish every day you could wind the clock back so that incident never happened.

“There was nothing to trigger [Blizzard’s] attack on Kyra, but on this occasion she was dangerously out of control.

“Dog ownership is a privilege and for many a pleasure, but it comes with a heavy burden under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

“[Blizzard] did an awful thing which neither of you expected and will weigh heavily upon you for the rest of your lives.

“I don’t believe that this incident was reasonably foreseeable but believe it was a momentary lapse of an otherwise good system. It is appropriate to suspend both sentences.”

Prosecutor Jeremy Janes told the court that the defendants were experienced dog owners and regularly raced the animals, which were used for sport in sledging teams, rather than being domestic pets.

King had raced dogs for 20 years after working in the military and also bred huskies.

Alcock, a veterinary nurse, had been with King since 2019 and accompanied him on the racing runs, with the pair working “as a team”, the court heard.

Kyra had been taken along for the runs from just five days old and was described by the judge as a “very much wanted and loved baby”.

King was given a 10-month sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Alcock was given an eight-month sentence, also suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

Siward James Moore, mitigating for King, said the incident was “abhorrent” and there had been a “momentary lapse” in the system used by the pair.

He said: “The events of that day for Mr King, and doubtless Miss Alcock, will have a profound, lifelong sense of loss for both of them.

“No punishment that this court can impose will equal that which they have already endured.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/14/parents-of-baby-killed-by-their-husky-in-lincolnshire-given-suspended-sentences

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> The parents of a three-month-old girl who was mauled to death by one of
> their husky dogs have been given suspended jail sentences.

> https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/14/parents-of-baby-killed-by-their-husky-in-lincolnshire-given-suspended-sentences

It is difficult to see what your off-topic posting in a cycling group will
bring to the bereaved parents in terms of comfort and closure after this
dreadful incident. It’s hardly a response that a normal person would make.

--
Spike

On 30/08/2023 08:08 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> The mum of a 10-year-old boy who died after being mauled by a dog has said ‘enough is enough’ as she calls for the law on dangerous dogs to be changed.
>
> Jack Lis died in November 2021 in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, near Caerphilly, South Wales, after the attack by an XL Bully.
>
> A further 15 people have died following dog attacks since Jack’s death, and there were nearly 22,000 cases of injuries from out of control dogs last year.
>
> Now Jack’s mum, Emma Whitfield, is campaigning for a change in the law named after her son.
>
> Emma, 32, said: ‘I still have terrible flashbacks. I still see the animal and its teeth. I hear the barking.
>
> ‘You relive it multiple times a day – it’s torture.
>
> ‘I still find it unbelievable. Sat on the sofa or on the way home, it hits you all over again.’
>
> The dog which attacked Jack, called Beast, was an XL Bully – a breed developed from the American pit bull terrier, but not recognised by the UK Kennel Club.
>
> Beast’s owner Brandon Hayden, then 19, was sentenced last June to just over four years at a young offenders’ institution, and Amy Salter, then 29, was jailed for three years, after they pleaded guilty to being in charge of an out of control dog.
>
> Emma said: ‘Enough is enough. This has to stop.
>
> ‘It’s mind-blowing how it keeps happening. It should never have happened to Jack but why has nobody learned from this?
>
> ‘Innocent people are dying. The Government needs to act now.
>
> ‘It’s out of control and there are people losing their kids because of this. I want to stop this happening.’
>
> The campaign for the Jack Lis Law is backed by the Mirror, the Dog Control Coalition which includes the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and Caerphilly’s MP Wayne David.
>
> They’re calling for a different approach to dog legislation, which includes all dogs and instead focuses on breeding, training and the sale of dogs.
>
> Emma says not all breeders or owners would need policing under new legislation, adding: ‘My problem is with backyard breeders who don’t care where the dogs go.
>
> ‘There is no reason why a dog needs to sell for £10,000 to go into a family home.
>
> ‘Certain type of dogs have become status symbols. To me it is not different than having a lethal weapon.’
>
> Mr David, who has previously called for the reintroduction of dog licences, said: ‘We have to ask who is next?
>
> ‘There can be no doubt that radical reform is needed to dog law. This will only happen when everyone who is concerned pulls together.
>
> https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/30/mum-of-boy-10-killed-in-xl-bully-dog-attack-calls-for-law-change-18865010/

I still clearly remember the furore surrounding the introduction of the
Dangerous Dogs Act. A lot of opportunist party politics was deployed
against its enactment and it seems that the same left loonies who
criticised the scope of the Act are now criticising it on the spurious
grounds that it didn't go far enough - the above writer and the person
quoting it perhaps being examples of that.

But to an extent, I agree: all breeds from the totally alien Pit Bull
Terrier should have been included on a continuing basis. Alsatian dogs
(referred to by pretentious people as "German Shepherds") are not
dangerous - how could they be, when bred for agricultural duties? Of
course, any animal can be mistreated badly enough to force it to become
defensive and aggressive as a result.

Another day, another terrible tragedy involving a young child and a dog. The headlines speak for themselves: 17 animals seized by police in Greater Manchester after a six-year-old girl was seriously injured in an attack.

The attack took place at an address in the suburb of Carrington on Sunday afternoon. The unnamed child was taken to hospital where she remains in a stable condition.

Before this, in January, a fatal dog attack took place in Milton Keynes, where a four-year-old girl was mauled to death in a garden. Just hours before that happened, an inquest was told that 28-year-old dog-walker Natasha Johnston died of “multiple penetrating bites” to her neck. She was attacked by the eight animals in her care in Surrey on 12 January.

The list keeps growing: In March last year, 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch died after being bitten by a dog bought by her family just a week before. In April, 12-day-old baby Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was killed by a chow chow alsatian cross at his family home in Doncaster. He suffered between 30 and 40 puncture wounds and later died in hospital, while the dog, named Teddy, was put down.

There are more. Take December 2022: an 83-year-old woman died from her injuries 17 days after being attacked by a large black XL bully cross cane corso breed in Caerphilly, south Wales. Almost exactly a year before, in the same town, 10-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death by an American bulldog. Both dogs are currently legal to own in the UK.

And in London, also in December 2022, an 11-year-old girl was left with serious injuries – including broken bones – after being attacked by a dog on her way to school.

If the unhappy roll call seems endless, that’s because it appears to be: last year, a woman in her forties was killed and a man suffered life-changing injuries in a dog attack near Rotherham, even though South Yorkshire Police said neither of the two dogs involved were considered banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Speaking as a parent of two young children (and also for myself) – I find this terrifying. I live near an area of open woodland where dogs are routinely let off the lead. Every time we go for a walk and someone’s supposedly “harmless” pet bounds up to us, I freeze. I’ve been known to physically scoop my son up into my arms – why would I take any risk? At six, he’s tiny, delicate – no match for an out of control canine, no matter how “friendly” its owners insist it is. And they do insist. The only thing more ubiquitous than dog attacks is the number of people declaring their pet is “different”; that it’s “gentle”; that it’s “more afraid of you than you are of it”.

“He won’t hurt you,” dog owners laugh when they see my children cower – and it can feel incredibly belittling. What some dog owners need to understand is: your dog isn’t your relative or friend – it’s a dangerous animal. You’re putting my family at risk every time you let it off the lead, and then laughing about it. The entitlement is astounding.

There’s not only the risk to people, but the risk to wildlife, too. Where I live, there are lakes and forests and countless reports of dogs attacking not only other dogs – but swans. All too recently, a female swan died after “bites on its neck from the attack, and had lost a lot of blood”. The local park’s swans group posted the news on its Facebook page saying: “Today we say goodbye to yet another one of our swans killed by a dog. This was a seriously nasty incident and totally preventable. She has been with her mate for a long time and this is heartbreaking.”

If you’re tempted to scoff or eye-roll away the “scare stories”, you need to look at the facts. Dog attacks, thankfully, are rare – but they have still risen significantly over the past two decades. The latest data tells us that 3,395 people were hospitalised by such incidents in 2002, compared with 8,389 in 2018. At least 32 people were killed by dogs in the decade to 2022, while official figures suggest that just less than half that number were killed by dogs in the 10 years prior to the introduction of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.

And what about a lifelong fear of dogs when one knocks over a child? My daughter had to be coaxed from behind my legs for years because a bulldog charged at her full pelt in the park when she was three, knocking her violently to the ground. When I took the owner to task over it, they laughed it off. “He’s just playing,” he said. “She shouldn’t have run. He just wanted to chase her.”

Think about it this way: if you’re in a public place (any public place) perhaps your dog should not be off its lead. It might be too dangerous.. You may feel like its your cuddly friend, or even your “child”, but it’s not. It’s an animal – and it could hurt someone.

If you’re tempted to dismiss my concerns as the ravings of a rabid cat owner (I’ve yet to hear of a fatal tragedy involving a house cat) then don’t take it from me – take it from the experts. Veterinary charity the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals warns that even the most placid pet can become hostile if they feel under threat or compelled to defend its territory.

“A well-socialised dog will not normally be actively aggressive towards other dogs and dogs don’t go around looking to attack others. But any dog can become aggressive if they are afraid and feel there is no other way out of the situation,” a spokesperson said. “This can be due to a current perceived threat or even past experience making them uncomfortable.”

The charity did say that dogs seldom attack without some form of warning, with growing aggression typically indicated by growling, snarling, snapping, baring their teeth and lunging – and there are seven warning signs we should all be aware of – but I would argue this is way, way beside the point.

I’m sure there are divisions between good dog owners and bad ones – just as there are people – but the real issue here is being cavalier with your dog in the first place. In failing to recognise its potential for harm. You may love it, but the rest of us don’t have to. And, given the latest awful news, for very good reason.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/milton-keynes-dog-attack-killed-b2273413.html

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you loathe The Medway Handyman
for keeping a list of dead cyclists?

How is your appalling sense of what is right as displayed here any better?

And it is difficult to see what your off-topic posting in a cycling group
will bring to those who have been bereaved in terms of comfort and closure
after these dreadful incidents. It’s hardly a response that a person with a
developed moral compass would make.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Another day, another terrible tragedy involving a young child and a dog.
> The headlines speak for themselves: 17 animals seized by police in
> Greater Manchester after a six-year-old girl was seriously injured in an attack.

> The list keeps growing: In March last year, 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch
> died after being bitten by a dog bought by her family just a week before.
> In April, 12-day-old baby Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was killed by a chow
> chow alsatian cross at his family home in Doncaster. He suffered between
> 30 and 40 puncture wounds and later died in hospital, while the dog,
> named Teddy, was put down.
>
> There are more. Take December 2022: an 83-year-old woman died from her
> injuries 17 days after being attacked by a large black XL bully cross
> cane corso breed in Caerphilly, south Wales. Almost exactly a year
> before, in the same town, 10-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death by an
> American bulldog. Both dogs are currently legal to own in the UK.
>
> And in London, also in December 2022, an 11-year-old girl was left with
> serious injuries – including broken bones – after being attacked by a dog
> on her way to school.
>
> If the unhappy roll call seems endless, that’s because it appears to be:
> last year, a woman in her forties was killed and a man suffered
> life-changing injuries in a dog attack near Rotherham, even though South
> Yorkshire Police said neither of the two dogs involved were considered
> banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

> https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/milton-keynes-dog-attack-killed-b2273413.html

--
Spike

Wasn't it the late Medway Bodgejob that used to laugh at cyclists getting attacked by dogs and birds of prey?
Well, he's not laughing now. :-)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Wasn't it the late Medway Bodgejob that used to laugh at cyclists getting
> attacked by dogs and birds of prey?
> Well, he's not laughing now. :-)

How would you know?

--
Spike

A five-year-old girl has suffered “significant” injuries to her face after she was attacked by a dog outside a convenience store in County Durham. She was taken to hospital for treatment, while the dog who mauled her has been seized, according to Cleveland police.

The incident happened near a Nisa shop in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, at about 6.30pm on Saturday. Police said the owner of the dog remained at the scene of the attack and cooperated with officers.

A force spokesperson added: “Officers attended the scene within minutes of the report being called in and provided medical assistance to the girl while waiting for the ambulance. The girl has suffered significant injuries to her face and is receiving treatment in hospital.

“We would politely ask people to not post photos relating to the incident and to avoid speculating on social media while officers continue with their investigation.”

The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales has risen by more than a third in the past five years, a BBC investigation found earlier this year.

There were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury last year, compared with just over 16,000 in 2018.

Fatalities from dog attacks have also increased sharply in recent years, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has said the rise in recorded dog attacks is due to increased police focus on this crime.

The deputy chief constable, Robert Carden, who leads the dangerous dogs working group, told the Guardian: “There is anecdotal evidence from rehoming centres that they are seeing a rise in dogs with behavioural problems being handed in. It is difficult to know the reasons for this, but it could be attributed to dogs bought during lockdown who missed out on key socialisation and have then become too difficult to handle in maturity.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/13/five-year-old-girl-suffers-facial-injuries-during-dog-attack-in-county-durham

On 31/08/2023 01:19 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Wasn't it the late Medway Bodgejob that used to laugh at cyclists getting attacked by dogs and birds of prey?
> Well, he's not laughing now. :-)

How do you know?

On 31/08/2023 01:31 pm, Spike wrote:

> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Wasn't it the late Medway Bodgejob that used to laugh at cyclists getting
>> attacked by dogs and birds of prey?
>> Well, he's not laughing now. :-)
>
> How would you know?

Snap!

JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
> On 31/08/2023 01:31 pm, Spike wrote:
>
>> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Wasn't it the late Medway Bodgejob that used to laugh at cyclists getting
>>> attacked by dogs and birds of prey?
>>> Well, he's not laughing now. :-)
>>
>> How would you know?
>
> Snap!

;-)

--
Spike

A child has been reportedly attacked by a bulldog in front of witnesses in a home, with cops rushing to the scene to seize the pet.

Officers said the alert came when a member of the public reported a "child being grappled to the floor by a bulldog" in the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham. Paramedics assessed the child for injuries but the kid's condition is not known yet.

The bulldog, which does not feature on the UK's banned dog list, was seized by police at the scene. Force Response took to Twitter to share the news yesterday, reports Birmingham Live. West Midlands Police said: "BHLPA C Team Stechford Response & Specialist Dog Unit officers responded to reports of a child being grappled to the floor by a bulldog in the Washwood Heath West Midlands area. "A bulldog was seized via police. West Midlands Ambulance Service arrived and assessed the Child." West Midlands Police has been approached for comment.

Last month, a seven-year-old girl was mauled by a dog while playing in a park in Merseyside. The youngster was raced to hospital after suffering bite marks to her legs and a laceration to her head in the horrific attack just before 8.30pm on July 17.

Merseyside Police said officers were called to Gorsedale Park in Wallasey following a report that the dog had bitten the child. The pet, believed to be an XL Bully - which is not a banned breed - was seized by officers.

Earlier this year, a six-year-old boy was the victim of an attack by an American Staffordshire terrier that leapt on the lad, tearing off part of his scalp. Vick Zidko screamed in terror as he was viciously scratched and bitten on his head and back. His sister said a memory that is haunting her is her little brother "pleading with the dog to stop".

The boy's family saved his life by prising open the American Staffordshire terrier's clamped jaws. As his mother tried to calm him down after the savage attack, Vick asked her: "Mummy, am I dying?" He spent five days in the hospital where medics battled to reattach the torn-off piece of scalp.

The boy had more than 50 stitches in his head and face. He also suffered deep cuts to his back. In the hope of preventing yet more attacks across Britain, Vick’s loved ones have decided to speak out to support the Mirror's campaign on dangerous dogs. His dad Vitalijus said: "It's a nightmare and we never want any other family to go through this."

In the UK, it is against the law to own four breeds of dogs including Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. The Government's website explains it is also against the law to sell, abandon, give away and breed from a banned dog. But is also explained that whether your dog is a banned type depends on what it looks like, rather than its breed or name - for example, if your dog matches many of the characteristics of a Pit Bull Terrier, it may be a banned type.