Poodles today - your dog tomorrow?
Off blog on a forum someone asked that now the dogs' lives were no longer in jeopardy, why should the charities help?
I'd say the angle with the charities is that this is a precedent case that could have a knock on affect for other dog owners.
If we are routinely at risk of criminalisation and financial ruin should our dogs escape from our garden for any reason, would dog ownership among much of the population remain tenable?
One of my old Beardies was let out by a dog sitter and roamed for days before I could get her back. Had sheep been worried in that period the same scenario could have happened to me. How many of us could find £60k to pay the fines. How many of us could work with a criminal record?
Jill and Peter - so far as I can see - have done nothing other than been loving dog owners yet they are now the wrong side of the law facing ruin.
Think how this country treats serious criminals - it's totally off the scale what is happening to Jill and Peter. Their dogs were taken away for nearly 4 months, plus they've had 5 months worried sick about getting a conviction. Someone needs to stand up for dog owners - they are being treated worse here than terrorist suspects!!!
Even when destruction was on the table there was zero help coming from the charities.
Someone needs to show solidarity to stop this happening to other dog owners. The dogs might not now die at the hands of the courts - but if the owners' lives are destroyed then I don't see it being too long before those dogs end up at the charities door. Being homeless with four Standard Poodles wouldn't be easy!
Dogs Trust were there for the people of Merseyside when they were being oppressed in the middle of the Pit Bull fiasco. Just lending support and advice to vulnerable dog owners would be helpful - I just wish they had employed lawyer Trevor Cooper rather than just giving him an award - it was being considered! If they had a dog expert lawyer in their ranks to help others in these tricky situations and to lobby and advise on doggie laws, doggie welfare generally would be in much better shape.
Dog welfare is a massive subject and while protection of pet owners' rights doesn't translate into such cute TV adverts as sponsor a dog schemes, it ultimately will affect many more thousands of dogs lives. As Britain becomes more and more anti-dog - dog ownership will become increasingly difficult.
What has happened to Jill and Peter could happen to any of us.
The amount of time and money already wasted by the police on this case is astonishing. Had any other sector of the community had one of their own so victimised there'd have been one hell of a stink! We need the big welfare institutions to register their outrage before its too late.
Sorry for the rant, it's just I feel Jill and Peter are like lambs to the slaughter and they need everyones help.
Here are some contact details should you feel moved to ask for support:
Dogs trust contact details :
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/topnavigation/contact_us (phone / address)
customerservices@dogstrust.org.uk (e-mail)
RSPCA details
https://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=MyRSPCALogin (they do respond but you need to log in to use it)
I'd say the angle with the charities is that this is a precedent case that could have a knock on affect for other dog owners.
If we are routinely at risk of criminalisation and financial ruin should our dogs escape from our garden for any reason, would dog ownership among much of the population remain tenable?
One of my old Beardies was let out by a dog sitter and roamed for days before I could get her back. Had sheep been worried in that period the same scenario could have happened to me. How many of us could find £60k to pay the fines. How many of us could work with a criminal record?
Jill and Peter - so far as I can see - have done nothing other than been loving dog owners yet they are now the wrong side of the law facing ruin.
Think how this country treats serious criminals - it's totally off the scale what is happening to Jill and Peter. Their dogs were taken away for nearly 4 months, plus they've had 5 months worried sick about getting a conviction. Someone needs to stand up for dog owners - they are being treated worse here than terrorist suspects!!!
Even when destruction was on the table there was zero help coming from the charities.
Someone needs to show solidarity to stop this happening to other dog owners. The dogs might not now die at the hands of the courts - but if the owners' lives are destroyed then I don't see it being too long before those dogs end up at the charities door. Being homeless with four Standard Poodles wouldn't be easy!
Dogs Trust were there for the people of Merseyside when they were being oppressed in the middle of the Pit Bull fiasco. Just lending support and advice to vulnerable dog owners would be helpful - I just wish they had employed lawyer Trevor Cooper rather than just giving him an award - it was being considered! If they had a dog expert lawyer in their ranks to help others in these tricky situations and to lobby and advise on doggie laws, doggie welfare generally would be in much better shape.
Dog welfare is a massive subject and while protection of pet owners' rights doesn't translate into such cute TV adverts as sponsor a dog schemes, it ultimately will affect many more thousands of dogs lives. As Britain becomes more and more anti-dog - dog ownership will become increasingly difficult.
What has happened to Jill and Peter could happen to any of us.
The amount of time and money already wasted by the police on this case is astonishing. Had any other sector of the community had one of their own so victimised there'd have been one hell of a stink! We need the big welfare institutions to register their outrage before its too late.
Sorry for the rant, it's just I feel Jill and Peter are like lambs to the slaughter and they need everyones help.
Here are some contact details should you feel moved to ask for support:
Dogs trust contact details :
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/topnavigation/contact_us (phone / address)
customerservices@dogstrust.org.uk (e-mail)
RSPCA details
https://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=MyRSPCALogin (they do respond but you need to log in to use it)
Comments
I would imagine spending a few days with Sussex police force might give you some bizarre background for future novels.
While the rest of the country's police wrestles with terrorism, children getting shot and knifed - Sussex's most wanted appear to be nice polite people who live next door to loutish cows that knock their fences down!
Sussex must be a very peaceful county if so much of the force's reserves are deployed to sort out this sort of 'crime'!
I would have loved to have been present for the doggie ID parade. How did they get volunteers - did the police spend time hanging about in parks asking if they could borrow people's dogs? Or were the dogs in the line up just police dogs and sniffer dogs on their lunch break?
Please spread the word - it does sound almost funny if you take a step back - but it's anything but funny for poor Jill and Peter.
I'll try the RSPCA next - they could afford to employ the Prime Minister with the money they have & the salaries they pay to their fat cats.