just hope this doesn't happen to you....

After reading some of you're stories about arguments with other dog owners..this is mine...
A few year ago when my old staff was still with us..we had just finished our walk over at the local country park and was walking back to the car..now my dog was off the lead...he was so well behaved it was unreal...any way..as we get near the car pak..theres a gate and all the dog tend to wee on it...you know the wee spot..any way I noticed this woman getting dragged up the slope by her dog..even though it was on the lead she was struggling to keep control...as soon as her dog looked at mine..he rared up..showing his teeth being aggressive...now of course my dog defended himself..she(the owner) put herself in between the two dogs...and took a nip to the knee...straight away she yelled that my dog had bitten her ..it was mine and my dogs fault etc etc...now I saw her own dog bite her...but said nothing...I called my dog and straight away he sat between my legs..still not on the lead..by now this woman has whipped up a crowed and its getting quite hostile towards me..i was getting sweared at etc...so..i walked back to my car...put my dog in the back..started the engine...then tap tap on the window...looked up and there's some bloke showing me a police warrant card...I got out of the motor and he explained that he saw the whole thing...great I thought I've got some one on my side...er..wrong...he told me to exchange details with this woman..so I did..thinking that nothing will come of this..and walked away...now this off duty copper then walked up the hill with this woman with their dogs...her dog then attacked the off duty coppers dog...made me chuckle a little...right I went home thought no more about it..went shopping with the mrs..gets home a couple of hours later...message on the answer phone..its the local police and they want to have a chat about what happened earlier...arrange a time to meet them a couple of days later....right I go down there..with out representation thinking I wouldn't need it...any way I said my bit went home and they said they'll contact me with due course...a week later I get a call would I like to attend the police station on which I complied and was charged under the dangerous dog act 1991 out of control dog etc...and get given a court date along with bail conditions that my dog must not be walked in public with out a lead on or muzzle..i must also prove that my dog is a pure breed(basically they're going down the pitbull route)..we then go to court...whilst in court they asked for the plea..and of course I said not guilty..have you got representation no I said...they adjourned it til I found some one...any way I was just about to leave the court house when this bloke approached me and said he would like to help...and that he's a solicitor ..so we went and got a coffee..had a chat told him every thing I knew..he then gave me an appointment to meet him at his office to discus the case..once there..he told me he read both side's and couldn't belive that I had been charged and there's no case to answer etc..we went back to court...went not guilty again...the court on which was a local magistrates then passed the case to the county court..on which the date was set two months later...so by now this had been going on for 6mths...on arriving the court I was met by a barrister..she said she had read the case and was livid on how this got this far and told me that if I was convicted..she'll pursue matters through the high court...we go into to court...the prosecution say their bit we say ours then come the witnesses...first of all the off duty copper...they read his statement back to him..he did not see any of it...and took this womans side but admitted that her dog attacked his..he was also asked what was my dog like..calm he replied and that my dog came to me as soon as he was called and sat by my feet ...then the woman was called...now bare in mind that she had been viciously mauled by a Staffordshire bull terrier...first question...who did you see for medical assistance ...the local doctor came the reply...how long after the attack ..?..my brief asked....a week came the reply..and did the police or doctor take the photos of the wound...no..my husband did.....and how long after the attack..??....three days came the reply..any way the questioning continues...at this satge she then breaks down and confesses that it was her own dog that bit her..the case collapsed..she was along side the off duty copper laughed out of court..i was then given the not guilty by the court...along with if would like to peruse matters I could ..i.e I was open and given the green light to sue... on which I declined.....I thought what is the point..she's been proved a lair in court...would it change people perspective on the breed..?...nope...they'll just swallow what the media wants them to...I've got nothing really anything else to add...I just hope that it never happens to any of you...

Good grief what a farce! Sorry you had to go through all that, I hope she was told to muzzle her dog!

How awful for you

Shocking the law really is an ass at times.

This is an amazing story. It must have been very stressful at the time, sorry you had to go through it. It maybe wouldnt have got as far as did if the stupid policeman (who should have been sacked for jumping to conclusions without evidence) had not been present. But in a way, things may be even more difficult now than they were a few years ago: now it is almost as if the police are present everywhere, all of the time. Now everyone has in their pocket their very own whistle for calling the police: in the shape of a mobile phone. And much more sophisticated than just a phone - it has a camera on it. So while there are bad incidents that need dealing with obviously (and Im not making excuses for people who have genuinely dangerous dogs), very often the public reach for their phone when really it would be more appropriate it they would butt out and leave things to be dealt with by the responsible dog owners concerned. The mass availability of the mobile phone means that many people dial 999 not because they should, but because they can.

My god what a nightmare! I'm so glad the truth came out in the end x

Glad there was a happy ending