[lunanlife]

I don't know if anyone has heard about this. I find it totally shocking that the dog is to be put down just because the owner made 1 small mistake.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-15660455

[SallyintNorth]

Maybe it would have been a different ruling if it had been a poodle and not something that looks like 100% pit bull terrier?

[HappyHippy]

I saw it on facebook 
There HAS to be more to this story that meets the eye.
We hear about dogs who attack (& kill !) livestock escaping the strong arm of the law, so I can't figure out why they would take such extreme action, unless the dog has been making a nusience of itself  A dog chasing a cat is like a cat chasing a bird....natural instinct  Are we going to start putting down all the cats who catch birds ?
Oh, the justice system in this country 

Sally, it's a staffie and although they do get a bad rep. I've met several who are lovely, sweet dogs  and none that are nasty 

[Rosemary]

I think the dog / owner has previous.

It's not necessarily that they are nasty but these dogs have the capacity to do tremendous damage - they're jaws on legs and their physique has been developed to inflict damage on "prey". Beats me why folk keep them - well, I know why a lot of folk keep them but that's another matter.

I find it heartening in a way that the law is being enforced, given the number of threads we get on here from folk who's livestock are worried and nothing's done. It's so inconsistent.

We had a staffie living near our old place - we caught him once with a hen in his mouth (owner sent flowers and was very apologetic), second time the dog killed 13 hens (owner paid compensation and was very apologetic. The police weren't interested), third time I caught him before he did any damage (owner very apologetic, police asked me what I wanted done and when I said I wanted the dog destroyed they said that would be a shame for the dog.)

I do feel sorry for the dog, since it's the one that will suffer. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to euthanase owners.

[Rosemary]

I find it heartening in a way that the law is being enforced, given the number of threads we get on here from folk who's livestock are worried and nothing's done. It's so inconsistent.

On the matter of inconsistency, I am a supporter of Worldwide Horse Welfare and SSPCA, so get their newsletters. I'm always amazed at the level of inconsistency in the penalties applied to those convicted of animal cruelty or neglect, particularly in relation to bans on keeping animals. I appreciate that the newletters will not carry all the details of every case, but surely anyone convicted of deliberate animal cruelty should be banned from keeping all animals for life.

Neglect is a different matter, I think, as quite often folk convicted of neglect are either mentally ill or have learning difficulties - in which case their pets might be very important to them and it may be support and education they need rather than punishment.

[Roxy]

A good friend of mine has two Staffies, and a Staffie x boxer.  Its bedlam at their house, and I always end up on the sofa being licked to death.  On the serious side, these are big powerful dogs, and can do some serious damage.  I know they have fought amongst themselves  a few times, and my friend said they do show how nasty they could be, and also that they have jaws of steel (when she has tried to open their mouths to get them off each other!)

[Rosemary]

I reproduce below a comment from Bobby on the Dundee Courier's website.

"DC Thompson at their best, are not telling the full story here! This dog has attacked 2 children, 2 adults, & 3 dogs (one of which had to be put down), as well as the cat that the story seems to be focused on! The owner is incapable of owning such an animal, and admitted so in court, hence verdict"

If Bobby's comment is accurate, then opinions may be revised?

Unfortunately, the press never let the truth get in the way of a good headline.

[Sylvia]

I have greyhounds and whippets. A cat wouldn't stand a...well.. a cat's chance if they saw one whilst off lead (which they never are except on our own land.) Would you class a whippet as a dangerous dog?

[SallyintNorth]

Sally, it's a staffie and although they do get a bad rep. I've met several who are lovely, sweet dogs  and none that are nasty 

I'm Staffordshire born and bred - and when I were a lass, a dog like that was not a Staffie it was a Pit Bull Terrier.  (I've got all the old Observer's Book of Dogs from way back so I can prove it too!   )

Now I know nothing personally of any Pit Bull Terriers, and I do know and have known many delightful Staffies, so I wasn't meaning to suggest anything other than that the judge may have thought, "That's a Pit Bull, it's been off on wanders before, it's done a whole lot more than just chase a cat, I'm going to save us all a whole load of grief here." 

On the subject of chasing cats, yes most dogs chase cats.  Not many savage them ferociously, though.  That's either breeding or training - and in either case, as a cat lover, I have to think the judge maybe has a point - if the owner will not constrain the dog, then sadly it is the dog that will have to pay the ultimate price for its owner's negligence.  The alternative is a lot of innocent family pets paying.

Loads of posts while I had this 'in production', so it sounds like it probably is a bad dog with bad owners. 

I have greyhounds and whippets. A cat wouldn't stand a...well.. a cat's chance if they saw one whilst off lead (which they never are except on our own land.) Would you class a whippet as a dangerous dog?

Sylvia, that's the point - you know you have killing machines so you take great care about when and where they are loose.  This owner clearly doesn't and hasn't.

[HappyHippy]

[Sylvia, that's the point - you know you have killing machines so you take great care about when and where they are loose.  This owner clearly doesn't and hasn't.

Yup, as full details have came out it would seem that (yet again  ) it's not a bad dog, but an iresponsible owner 

Sally - I don't doubt you on the breeds but this first picture is what I imagine when I hear pit bull terrier (the boxer of the dog world  ) instead of staffordshire bull terrier (the bottom one)

Karen 

[robert waddell]

well i would not like any one of the two hanging of my arse
and if that were the case after i had done the dog in the bloody owner would get it as well
and on the subject of dogs and there brain dead owners twice in less than a week the brain dead have let there dogs of the lead to run onto the public highway when i have been driving
how funny when a dog does something wrong either runs /wanders onto the road bites children/adults or kills other animals it some one else that is to blame and not the dog or owner

[sabrina]

We had a staffie cross lab/lurcher tht no one wanted.  She came to us age 6 wks and I trained her the same as our other dogs. She could be a very loving dog but age 3  we had her put down. Reason, she started attacking our other dogs  almost biting myself and grandaughter. She attacked Tanya who is a German Shepherd of good size and build. There was no need for her to do this and nothing we did would stop her  aiming for Tanya's throat over and over. Jake the Jack Russell got in her way and she  tossed him aside as if he was nothing. Tanya was badly bitten and in shock. Lizzie was a muched loved dog but we had no doubt that we had to put her down. If she done this with the grandchildren around god knows what would have happened. I will never have another.

[manian]

its definitely the owners fault......
our cat was killed by 3 dogs that the owner had OFF the lead on our land. (its a bridleway) they ran into the enclosed garden and she never made it through te operation.....
police said they couldn't do anything unless we said we felt we were in danger.
the women walking the dogs was initally appologetic but then said it was the cats fault.
Mx

[Rosemary]

Woah, the first dog in HappyHippy's post is an English Bull Terrier NOT a pit bull.

The English Bull Terrier has a long history in the UK and, like the Staffie, has a reputation of being a great family dog. Check out www.thebullterrierclub.com

[Rosemary]

its definitely the owners fault......

The owners are at fault but we've bred dogs to display certain behaviours that can be positive or negative, depending on the circumstances and the dog's physique.

TBH, I think we get too het up about the humane destruction of dogs - a good clear out of dogs not fit to be in society wouldn't be a bad thing, so long as further breeding was also stopped.