Dogs shot by Met police

Please, people, don't support the dog breeding industry!

To enforce a law you need to be able to find and arrest the offender and prove they committed the crime.

Dog breeders breeding these banned breeds and rearing similar 'legal' breeds to be aggressive, are not going to make their behaviour known and they tend to operate in relatively isolated rural sites.

The law is enforced, once people are caught and the charges can be made to stick.

Nothing wrong with supporting reputable dog breeders that vet the people that purchase their puppies. The breeder I got my whippet from can tell you everything about her relatives: any illness has to be reported to her. She takes back any dog that the purchaser can’t keep whatever the reason. She breeds for conformation and temperament and the temperament of her dogs is exceptional. These are dogs that are bred to kill rabbits but they wouldn’t dream of biting a person. My girl accidentally caught my finger when we both went to grab the same toy and when I squealed she was distraught. I had to keep telling her that it was an accident and I wasn’t shouting at her, As for tail wagging there have been several occasions when a dog has run up to my on lead dog wagging itself tail and then gone for her throat

There are too many horror stories about this breed of dog. The fighting instinct is too inbred in them I think. I have had dogs for 36 years and have loved them all. I have 2 dogs now. If any of my dogs had viciously attacked someone I would expect them to be put down. However, all my dogs have been Golden Retrievers and tiny rescue dogs. Friendly and safe. Why would anyone want dogs knowing them to be aggressive and unpredictable?

Like many I blame the owner not the police . So many idiots out there who actually use this type of dogs as weapons sadly . No dog is born aggressive it’s how they are trained

Fleurpepper

Bignanny2

Shame it doesn’t happen more often. Any dog without a muzzle should be shot. And I know I’m going to be slammed for this but I don’t care !

This is just so outrageous and disgusting- and deserves being slammed, hard.

Bignanny is just goading

Don't fall for it, folks.

Caleo

I wish you had not reported that Ajswan! I did not want to know.

I hope to goodness the officer was disciplined and retrained in handling his gun!

I hope the officer is supported as I’d be surprised if he doesn’t feel dreadful that his first shot did not kill the poor animal. He was shooting at a moving target. As I said upthread. I’m thankful for police officers who run towards, rather than away from risk.

Iam64

Oreo, forgive me if I have this wrong, my memory could be better. I seem to recall you aren’t one of gransnets merry band of dog owners. Tail wagging isn’t always a sign of a happy dog. I’ve not looked at the video again, don’t want to but a high wagging tail in a big dog that’s already attacked would worry me

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned being a dog owner or not.
I saw the low wagging tails of the dogs which means they were either scared or very wary of the group of police closing in on them.
In the end the police had no choice really.There are too many out of control and dangerous dogs on the street with owners who are idiots.

Ah low wagging tails - I didn’t rewatch because it was so distressing byt yes I agree could be anxious fearful but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t attack. Dogs often react by protecting their handler
I absolutely agree with your final paragraph

Has anyone heard how the woman is who was attacked?

These type of dogs should be muzzled for the safety of the public. If the owner refuses to muzzle the dog it should be removed from the owner. No ifs and no buts.

Callistemon21

Has anyone heard how the woman is who was attacked?

This article is saying that the woman wasn't attacked as such....

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12064773/Met-Police-clear-shooting-two-dogs-dead-woman-mauled.html

These dogs were badly let down by their owner. He must have known they were reactive around other dogs and kept them well away. Just because they are reactive with dogs it doesn't follow on that they are a danger to humans. They paid with their life he should be ashamed and never let near a dog again.

Rosie1959, a shop owner is quoted in the DM on line as saying the man had been sitting outside his shop with the dogs. The dogs were barking at customers and frightening them, so the shop owner asked him to move

Iam64

Rosie1959, a shop owner is quoted in the DM on line as saying the man had been sitting outside his shop with the dogs. The dogs were barking at customers and frightening them, so the shop owner asked him to move

Again down to the owner when you hold a dog lead you are responsible for the dogs actions and probably more than most would think. Any emotion you have will travel down the lead.
Walking another small dog near a pair of reactive dogs again not a good idea

He was homeless, probably got mental health problems, so shouldn’t have been in charge of two big dogs…. he was (I read somewhere) not supposed to own any dogs so not sure what that story was The women in question it seemed wasn’t hurt or mauled as the first reports said
Iam just to balance it another shop owner said the dogs were friendly and he talked to them most days
I m not sure what the police wanted him to do !
he couldn’t hand the dogs over to them that wouldn’t have worked, they were in a excitable state and they would have gone for the police as strangers taking their leads and unfortunately the more the police threatened with their shouting (and his) the guns, the police moving forward into their space, the more agitated frightened and aggressive the dogs got. Leaving no choice for the cops but it was a real shame as they didn’t seem to be over large or over aggressive just upset and confused

I don’t think the police handled it well at all but then they aren’t trained in dog handling so did what they felt was right as the dogs came forward , but it was pretty shocking A shame dog handlers couldn’t have been called

Thanks for balancing this discussion BlueBelle- puts a totally different slant on it. So sad.

Thank you BlueBell
I was silly enough to watch the full video and found it deeply upsetting and don’t think I will forget it for quite a while.

BlueBelle, in an ideal world the poor dogs wouldn't have been shot. The police are there for public protection, though, so consider the outcome if they hadn't controlled the situation. The frightened, overexcited dogs, if released, could be aggressive. Would they attack a nearby, passing child? It's possible.

I once had a beautiful, rescued OE sheepdog/GR cross, very well trained, gentle, harmless/reliable (I thought) - until, one day, my DH let her out of the car outside, to come in, just as a neighbour's son went past on roller skates.

She went for him, well, for the skates, resulting in a serious bite and bruise to his ankle. Thank Heavens, it was just his ankle - and the parents were understanding, having a 'nippy' Yorkshire terrier themselves. We never trusted her after that.

Of course they shouldn’t have just been released Hetty that would have been ridiculous and that’s not what I was saying at all but the situation went out of control, by the police as much as the dogs the police were acting aggressively towards the dogs moving forward into their space, shouting, pointing
(their guns)
A calmer approach may have made for a better scenario.
Then a dog team (handler ) ( RSPCA) could have been called to take the dogs and they could have taken the man

Like a human with a mental health condition the calmer the approach the better, once voices are raise or threats made, you have lost the situation

Hetty58

BlueBelle, in an ideal world the poor dogs wouldn't have been shot. The police are there for public protection, though, so consider the outcome if they hadn't controlled the situation. The frightened, overexcited dogs, if released, could be aggressive. Would they attack a nearby, passing child? It's possible.

In an ideal world, the man wouldn't have been homeless either. But a homeless man is probably not in the best person to care properly for two dogs. One can be sentimental about it - lonely man has dogs for companionship... but - there should be a duty of care that applies to dogs as well as humans.

It was a dreadful situation. Police were called on the basis a woman had been attacked. The handler refused to hand over the dogs. The situation was escalating. This wasn’t the kind of situation where a calm trained negotiator would be called. So far as the police were aware, it was blue light risk and they responded as such
If a child or anyone had been attacked, the police would be criticised. Two big dogs, untrained, on the end of leads held by a man with mental health problems - it’s easy to be wise after the event.

Excellent post Iam and I totally agree.

Absolutely, Iam64. The police were damned if they did, damned if they didn't. Hindsight is a wonderful thing - but how many of us have actually had to face a situation like that?