Readers back Chad’s dangerous dogs campaign

Dozens of residents contacted Chad after we exposed the scale of attacks by dogs on people and family pets in public spaces around the district.

Victims claim that new Government measures to combat dangerous dogs under anti-social behaviour legislation do not go far enough and are calling for tougher action.

Roxanne Wilson (26), of Eckington Walk, contacted the paper after one of her pet Chihuahuas was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dog on Sunday 26th October.

To her outrage the dog’s owner just stood back and watched the attack happen, leaving two-year-old Coco needing emergency veterinary care, she said.

Roxanne told Chad: “I was taking both my dogs - Coco and Lady - out for a walk when I saw this man walking towards me with his dog, a tan-coloured Staffie.

“As they got level with us, his dog grabbed hold of Coco and wouldn’t let go.

“Coco could easily have died and this man did absolutely nothing to help me, and my other dog was so terrified that she got free and ran away, and almost got run over.

“I’m too terrified to take them out now and I’m having to just exercise them in the garden. Thankfully Coco is on the mend - it’s just one of his legs that this dog latched onto, but he had a lucky escape.

“I just want to see this man and ask him why he acted the way he did, because the way he acted was really cruel and he should have done a lot more to help.

“He didn’t even hang around to make sure we were all okay.”

Another Chad reader, who has asked not to be named, described how her own pet spaniel twice received life-threatening injuries in two separate attacks by bull breed dogs.

In one attack, two Staffie-type dogs escaped through the front door of their home and attacked her dog in the road outside.

“These two Staffies just charged out of the front door and dived on my dog,” the woman told Chad.

“They just went straight for her and bit her legs and the back of her neck. They locked their jaws and nobody could get them off.

“A man was hitting one of the dogs with a walking stick, and when its owner finally got involved it bit through one of his fingers.

“I daren’t take my dog out anymore - there are just too many of these bull breeds around and I just don’t think you can trust them.

“You often see these dogs walking around with no collar or lead and we should all be able to take our dogs out for a walk without being attacked or feeling intimidated.”

The ‘Dob on a Dog’ campaign was launched after another Mansfield woman - whose own pet was savaged by a pack of dogs while she was walking in Moor Lane Park with her nine-month-old grandchild - contacted Chad.

The woman, who is not being named for fear of repercussions, wants all readers to report dog attacks to police, local councils, politicians and Chad.

She is also calling for a host of new measures to tackle irresponsible dog ownership, including compulsory dog training, the return of dog licences, a formal owners’ registry and DNA testing on all mixed-breed dogs.

The woman’s own pet is now recovering following several life-saving operations, she said.

“Dogs like these are often used for protection and status symbols and are not socialised family pets. After the attack, my family and I rushed our dog to the nearest vets where she had life-threatening injuries and underwent emergency surgery,” she said.

Last week Chad was also featured Mansfield resident David Walker (49), after his 21-month-old Border Collie Bonnie was attacked by two dogs on Racecourse Park on 7th October.

Under the new legislation, owners face £20,000 fines if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent their pets from attacking people or other dogs.

Prison sentences for owners of violent dogs were extended earlier this year as part of changes to legislation.

Owners now face a maximum of 14 years for a fatal dog attack, five years for an injury and three years for an attack on an assistance dog.

According to the latest figures, in 2013, 6,740 people required hospital treatment for dog attacks - an increase of six per cent from the previous year.

In total, eight adults and 13 children have died from dog attacks since 2005.

Have you suffered a dog attack? Contact Chad on 01623 450303 or email [email protected]

PICTURED: Roxanne Wilson with her dogs Lady and Coco.