Dog killing: councillors told of vicious attack

Pharaoh who died after being savaged by two bull terriers in Springfield ark

At last night’s Rochdale Township meeting, (7 November) the owner of Pharaoh, the West Highland terrier which was viciously killed by two Staffordshire bull terriers in Springfield Park last month, told councillors of the circumstances surrounding the distressing attack.

Owner Leona Bowker spoke eloquently and with passion about the attack and urged councillors to do all they could to prevent similar incidents. She said she feared that unless something was done, she feared that further attacks were inevitable and that next time it could be a child who was the victim.

Police Inspector Umer Khan, who attended the meeting on behalf of GMP told the committee that although extensive enquiries were continuing, the owner of the attacking dogs had not yet been identified. He said that two potential owners had been interviewed but excluded from the investigation.

He told the committee that ‘dog on dog attacks’ were not subject to the same laws as they would have been had the victim been a person although there were possible legal remedies for causing criminal damage. Inspector Khan expressed his “sympathy” for Ms Bowker and assured her that the police were taking the matter “very seriously”.

During the debate that followed, councillors were made aware that they could impose by-laws that could include muzzling of dogs in public parks. Council officers hope to meet with the Friends of Springfield Park and other groups to see how best to address some of the concerns raised by Pharaoh’s killing.

Councillor Ian Duckworth said that unfortunately, some members of what he described as “an underclass” often owned dogs of these type, seemed to keep them for their own ego’s and tended to ignore the law.

Councillor Cecile Biant who chairs the Township Committee thanked Ms Bowker for coming to the meeting and extended her sympathy on behalf of all the councillors attending. She assured her that the issue was being taken very seriously by the council.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/74696/dog-savaged-in-springfield-park-dies  

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/74807/dog-killing-enquiries-continuing