LOST DOG LEFT TO DIE

fbrander · Graduate

RE: LOST DOG LEFT TO DIE

Leolurcher · Master

fbrander wrote:
have sent e-nails to Police and local councillor. Just a thought- if this had been a member of the public who had left that poor dog to die-I bet they would already be facing charges
No question about that and no excuse other than extreme mental ill health would get someone off the charge.Hopefully bringing the force into disrepute and the complaints stats for the Lothian and Borders area this January shooting off the scale will teach people a lesson. The chief constable may or may not care much about dogs but I bet he cares about his statistics. Flip if there is rivalry between chief constables re the stats each return?...oh joy...chief constable of Lothian and Borders will be raging over this. Such an awful shame that this happened to a grey but at least of all dog breeds greys have so many organisations supporting them and loads of people that care about them connected by forums on the net and so the complaints should be piling in thick and fast. Eleanorxxxxxxx

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Daily Record 25 Jan

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Anyone who wants to see the background to Major can look him up on the greyhound-data website under his racing name of Bushmills Major.
Marie

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Thank you Marie

And here the link:
Bushmill Major

Dave · Enlightened One

press release from Lothian & Borders police -

http://www.lbp.police.uk:80/press_release/articles/2007/January/24/1.htm

Isla · Enlightened One

Sorry, I'm afraid, having read the articles, I don't feel any more sympathetic or kindly disposed towards his owner (duty of care to the dog? - let's pretend he's a stray?????) or the Police.

It was negiligence.

Made all the worse by the fact that the poor dog was 3 years old and still had it's whole life ahead of him!!!

JENNY · Big Cheese

Seeing his photo on the pedigree just breaks my heart. Its shameful for everyone who had a hand in his death, from the trainer who dumped him to the supposed public guardians who failed him when he needed care most.

MojoTilly · Master

I may upset a few people here, but the guy who took him into the police station was not entirely in the wrong. Let's face it he could have done far worse if he wanted rid of the dog. He had no way of knowing that it would turn out to be such a disasterous decision and must be feeling terrible now.

Please don't think for a minute I agree with the fact that he handed the dog in as a stray, or gave the dog up having only had it for a few weeks, but surely he can't be held responsible for the Police leaving the dog to die?

Andrew.

saldec · Master

I just feel sick to my stomach when i read this.

That poor dog must of endured a slow death.

Somebody ought to suffer for doing this.

He is in Rainbow Bridge know enjoying himself & pain free.

R.I.P Little man.

karen_f · Master

I'm not really one for sending off letters of complaint about things i've read in the papers, but this story made me so incensed i felt i had no other choice. I got a response today from danny molloy, the local councillor and in it's entirety it read:
"Thank you for your email regarding the above.I have contacted the Council's Police Liaison Officer and asked him to report back to you directly."

distinct lack of concern or am i just being cynical?

Isla · Enlightened One

MojoTilly wrote:
I may upset a few people here, but the guy who took him into the police station was not entirely in the wrong. Let's face it he could have done far worse if he wanted rid of the dog. He had no way of knowing that it would turn out to be such a disasterous decision and must be feeling terrible now.

Andrew.

I don't think you'll be upsetting anyone Andrew. I quite agree, there is far worse that he could have done. However, the Police are not exactly well known for their charitable work at rehoming animals and I don't understand why he didn't take the dog to some rescue centre. It would seem, from the article, that he is feeling terrible. I still can't find it in my heart to feel sorry for him though or the Police officers who "forgot".

Gail · Big Cheese

I also agree with you Andrew, there are worse things he could have done than hand the poor dog in as a stray and as has been said he was not to know that the poor lad was going to end up suffering in the hands of the police..but...

i notice the dog was handed into police on the 2nd of January and i just wonder if it was a case of the local kennels being closed for the new year holiday (i know my local one was), and if that is the case i find it hard to believe he had any concern at all for the dog if he could not be bothered to hold onto him for another day or so to get him the proper care he needed at an animal centre rather than a police cell.

Jennifer · Big Cheese

Isla wrote:
I don't understand why he didn't take the dog to some rescue centre.

Im not agreeing with what the guy did was great either but i worked at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat home for 9 years and when their kennels are full, they are full. They cant keep taking and taking dogs in, until they rehome some, there just simply arent enough kennels.
So all these people that keep saying why didnt he take it to rescue centre, he maybe did and was maybe turned away if they were full. I had to turn people away when i worked there simple because of the amount of dogs waiting on finding homes. We all know greyhounds are hard enough to rehome as it is without rescue centres taking them in when they struggle to rehome cute wee collie pups. I would rather people handed them in as strays (even if they dont want them anymore) its better than leaving the dog to roam the streets, at risk from being hit by cars or being hurt by people/children. Its just very unfortunate what happened to this poor dog.

ps - Isla this wasnt a dig personally at you - its just so many people assume rescues will just take dogs in but when they are full and can't, what else can folk do with their dogs? ( i know they should take repsonsibility coz they own the dog but many don't take responsibilty)!

-- Edited by Jennifer at 16:19, 2007-01-26

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

In Wednesday and Thursday's Edinburgh Evening News I have notice a few members of the public (one being the Duchess of Hamilton) have written letters giving their opinions on this matter.

These can be viewed by looking at back issues - I have linked to the Thursday Edition below:

Evening News Readers Letters - Thursday 25 Jan

Isla · Enlightened One

Jennifer wrote:
ps - Isla this wasnt a dig personally at you - its just so many people assume rescues will just take dogs in but when they are full and can't, what else can folk do with their dogs? ( i know they should take repsonsibility coz they own the dog but many don't take responsibilty)!

-- Edited by Jennifer at 16:19, 2007-01-26

Sad day if I took offence Jennifer. However, you have to wonder just how hard the guy tried.

I realise that kennel spaces can be hard to come by. Sympathies still lie with the animal.

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

The Scotsman 6 Feb

Isla · Enlightened One

Kinda sad that the article keeps referring to Major as "it"! What a sorry tale!

Ambers Mo

I have to say that I find there is a distinct lack of compassion for animals.

I also feel that people like us, who have a great empathy for the welfare of animals, and greyhounds and lurchers in particular, are viewed as being somewhat eccentric. Or am I just being over sensitive following a bit of a disappointing day when I was made to feel rather out of step just because I care passionately about rescuing dogs.

What does everyone else think?

Isla · Enlightened One

Hi Joyce.

I doubt very much that you are being over sensitive. I've had much the same reaction with some of the things I have on the go at present. I'm in the middle of a project that I'm going to donate for auction, or whatever is deemed suitable for it, and another project imminent (on finishing this one). I was talking about it at work the other day and when I mentioned greyhounds, the response was a big sigh and eyes rolled skywards.

It really annoyed me because we have to sit through endless tales of this person's family and social activities without comment or adverse reaction!

Leolurcher · Master

Isla wrote:

It really annoyed me because we have to sit through endless tales of this person's family and social activities without comment or adverse reaction!

Hi Isla,

That strikes a note with me......oh how I long at times to give someone like that strong eye contact and say........."please shut up as I am rapidly losing the will to live"
Joking aside.....stricty speaking......those people that steamroller other people with endless stuff about themselves, control conversations and give almost no time for anyone else to talk about what interests them? or if they do their attitude is to dismiss or belittle what anyone else has to say? Its is a form of psychological abuse and so it is small wonder that people like that may tend to treat people with an interest in dog welfare etc as being a bit eccentric as to them being eccentric is probably having an interest in the welfare of anything other than the self

To me if people interested in dog welfare find themselves being treated as a bit peculiar? it is not the dog people that are odd....it is just that they are for some reason being forced to to mix with the wrong type of people.... so there. It is like a teenager being stuck with a peer group that is into heavy drug taking. If the teenager doesn't take drugs that group will tend to label the teenager as being peculiar and not fitting in. But who is sensible and wise in that scenario? the group or the individual? I rest my case

Love to all
Eleanorxxxxxxx

Indiana · Guru

Great remarks Eleanor. At least we can all talk with like-minded people through this forum. I had to endure a dinner where the only topics of conversation were racing cars and skiing and despite the fact I could not contribute anything to the conversation, people didn't seem to care. When someone finally bothered to give me an opening, eyes were rolled the minute greyhounds were mentioned - even though I had never met these people before! I guess we all just have sensitive souls - and I'd rather it was that way because our animals will not end up like poor Major.

Isla · Enlightened One

I agree with all those comments Eleanor and the ones from Indiana! Personally speaking, I much prefer the company of my dogs - reckon I must be verging on hermit! If that brands me as eccentric, weird or anti-social, bring it on.

Leolurcher · Master

Karen I don't think that you are weird.

I explained my love of being with my lurchers to a friend. I can be totally relaxed with them. They seem to be able to read my mind.... and get it right.
That makes being with them a lot easier than being with people.
Exxxxx

-- Edited by Leolurcher at 02:00, 2007-02-10

-- Edited by Leolurcher at 02:02, 2007-02-10

Valerie · Guru

The above comments are such a sad reflection of how many in society are now, consumed with themselves, acquiring "stuff", getting ahead etc., and I think the real difference between those people, and people on the forum is that folk on the forum are passionate about doing what is right by innocent creatures.
If you think about it, everyone one must still continue to be an ambassador for what is the right behaviour towards animals, whether others view it as eccentric or not. Your comments may not always take root right away, but may come back to folk, and make them think at some point.
It's amazing how often a dog owner says give me dogs over people any day, and this in itself reflects how many intolerant, ignorant folk are around us every day, and it's hard to stand out from the "herd" mentality of being materialistic, and listen to folk being dismissive of what is a problem created by their own society, but we must. I'll put away my soapbox now.

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

We had one of this trainers 'valuable' dogs found as a stray and brought to our kennels either last year or the year before.

poor major should have come to us. if he had we could have rehomed him. we currently have another ex racer waiting to be rehomed...

its such a tradgedy, lets hope it never ever happens again.

-- Edited by Dave at 19:20, 2007-03-05

Calatria · Master

Emailed this afternoon to find out whether they've finished investigating. Got this reply.

"The matter has now been investigated and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. We await further direction from them. It is not unusual for this process to take several weeks.

Once the matter is concluded we will issue a statement.

Thank you for your interest.

Ruth MacLeod

Press Office"

Don't want them to think that because the fuss has died down, we're going to forget what happened to Major. We'll be watching.....

niccimac · Old Hand

Yes, I'd emailed them again a couple of weeks ago, just to let them know it wasnt forgotten. Got quite a sniffy reply re sspca investigating, and report to PF, and a report would go on their website in due course. I think they might well be sitting quiet in the hope that everyone will turn their attention to newer matters. Poor Major, it still makes me feel sick.

max · Enlightened One

Have just heard on the radio this morning that no charges will be brought upon any individuals due to the fact that the carcass had been disposed of and because of this there is no evidence. hmm

Nora

JENNY · Big Cheese

I can't even describe how angry that makes me. No bloody surprise though. They'll cover up and watch each others backs at every turn. Disgusted. furious