Irish staff, is there such a breed? Discussions

leadstaffs · Apr 1, 2011

I don't think they can be assessed for type below 9 months but they can still be seized at a young age if the parents are present and they are suspect.

I think 9 months is also a little early to assess.

Dooley · Apr 1, 2011

Krusewalker said: ↑

your link details 4 court cases.
none of which are about dogs below 9 months of age being assessed for 'type'.
Click to expand...

taken from dda watch

Tia and her two puppies aged approximately 2 weeks, came into a sanctuary having been rescued. Tia was medically treated and later assessed, as a lovely friendly dog she was put up for adoption, her two puppies went into a foster home and received lots of TLC. A short while later, a vet, who had apparently been on a course to identify pit bull types, expressed an opinion that Tia may have pit bull terrier in her. In March 2008 Tia was led into a room and lost her life. Tia's two puppies were taken out of their foster home and also put to death. The staff cried on as all lost their lives under the law. One member of staff had to take time off to try and come to terms with the loss of both puppies and their mum. .
Click to expand...

Maisie was young dog of stable and friendly temperament. No compliants were made against her nor had she ever shown aggression.

In March 2008 Maisie had a litter of puppies and, during a veterinary check-up when the pups were six weeks, Maisie's owner was told of the vet's opinion that Maisie was of 'type'. When the police were contacted by the concerned owner they photographed the dogs and a 'dog identification' officer told her that the puppies would certainly be killed and probably Maisie as well. Later the same expert described Maisie, who had never shown any aggression, as a "time-bomb" and left Maisie's owner in the position of facing prosecution while her dogs were seized and killed by strangers or the option of taking the dogs to the vet for euthanisia herself.

Maisie died in April 2008, three days after her pups.
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http://www.ddawatch.co.uk/in_memory.html

Dooley · Apr 1, 2011

and more recently in the news were this case.

Andersonstown News Thursday 8th of March 2011
By Gráinne McWilliams

A POLEGLASS teenager has been left devastated after her 12-week-old puppy was destroyed by Lisburn City Council after it was seized under the Dangerous Dog Act.

Nakita Lowry from Glenwood was speaking to the Andersonstown News after her Staffordshire bull terrier/ bullmastiff cross pup, Coda, along with its sibling Kaiser and their mother, Keedy, were coaxed out of her boyfriend’s back garden in the Hillhall area of Lisburn only to be caught by the local dog warden and subsequently destroyed.

The 17-year-old says she is now considering taking legal action against the Council as she claims Coda was chipped and that Council officials failed to notify her that her dog was being put down.

“I’m totally heartbroken,” said the local schoolgirl. “They claimed they scanned the dogs and found no chips, but I chipped Coda as soon as I got her. I’m not sure if I’ll ever have a dog again now after all this.”

Denise Donald, mother of Nakita’s boyfriend and owner of the puppies’ mother Keedy, explained how the dogs were found by the Council after they were let out of her back garden.

“The last time I saw them was at 10am on the morning they disappeared when I left the house for an hour. They were in the garden playing happily and they were secure,” said Denise.

“Someone must have opened the gate and let them out. Keedy was a timid dog, she would not have left the garden unless she was coaxed and the two pups would have followed her.”

When Denise realised the dogs were missing on her return home, she immediately called Lisburn City Council who informed her that the dogs were apprehended after one of her neighbours contacted the Council.

“I rushed straight down to the dog pound there to get them back,” she continued.

“They told me that they suspected Keedy of being a possible pit bull terrier as she was taller than other Staffordshire bull terriers in the pound. They told me I had two options – either to sign forms granting them permission to destroy the three dogs or take the Council to court to get them back. They said if I took the Council to court they would win anyway so I should just sign the forms and save myself the money. They basically bullied me into signing the forms. I’ve never been so pressured in all my life.”

Reflecting on her decision when she returned home, Denise decided she wanted to save the dogs.

“Keedy was a rescue dog who had been badly treated by her previous owner, so I just couldn’t bear her to be put down after such a bad start to life,” said Denise.

“I phoned the Council first thing in the morning the next day to tell them I changed my mind and that I wanted blood tests done to prove that Keedy was a Staff, but I was told to call back on the Monday as the offices were closed over the weekend. When I called again on Monday I was told I was too late, the dogs had been destroyed.

“Nakita had told me her pup was chipped so I asked if they had contacted her to tell her they destroyed her dog, but they claimed the dogs were scanned and neither of them were chipped.”

Denise and Nakita said both families had been left devastated by Lisburn City Council’s actions.

“I asked the Council for the dogs’ ashes so I could bury them,” said Nakita.

“They said ‘good luck finding them’ and put the phone down on me.”

“They’ve turned the whole house upside down,” said Denise, who has not decided yet whether she will take legal action against the Council.

“Those dogs had good homes and were well-loved. Even the neighbours who contacted the dog warden in the first place had offered to give them a home if I didn’t come forward. I’m utterly heartbroken.”

A spokesperson for Lisburn City Council said the Dangerous Dogs Act made it an offence to own or breed any dog of the type known as a pit bull terrier.

“Having lifted these dogs as strays a thorough physical examination of them took place, by both the Council's Dog Warden and an independent assessor, to identify any physical characteristics associated with a pit bull terrier,” said the spokesperson.

“The dogs were also scanned and no microchips were found. The decision to euthanise these dogs was taken in full consultation with the owner who gave the Council written permission to do so.”
Click to expand...

http://www.belfastmedia.com/news_article.php?ID=4871

just shows they can be assessed for type below 9 months of age , as shown in the above case , pup we`re 12 weeks old and destroyed.

Krusewalker · Apr 1, 2011

thanks dooley

they do indeed seem to be examples of assessment below 9 months.
its all a bit stupid really

i wonder if each authority has different policies?

i know the met doesnt like to do them early

Sal · Apr 1, 2011

I tend to think they make up the rules to suit themselves,well that's the impression I get.

To me it's not about age it's about an unjust,unfair law that needs to be ended,it's about putting to sleep an innocent dog because of the way it looks not it's actions,it's about tearing families apart,doesn't matter how old the dog is,it still deserves a chance.

Irish staff, is there such a breed? Discussions

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