To think it’s cruel to bring police dogs into a a massive violent riot as was Southport last night? *edited by MNHQ

[Bullbreedbliss]

The tragedy at Southport has been horrific beyond description and touched us all. However I can’t help but think it was not only ineffective, but irresponsible and cruel to bring dogs into the scene that unfolded during last nights riots. The morning after and we are hearing that dogs have been injured from having bricks thrown in their direction, strangled, kicked and burnt. Bringing half a dozen dogs into a scene where hundreds of people are engaging in such extreme levels of violence and civil unrest was never going to achieve anything except traumatised and injured animals. A poor tactic employed by police at great cost to the animals that did not choose to be there.

@Ponkpinkpink15

No. But starting a thread on it is bizarre.

Either it’s ok to have working police dogs or it isn’t. If it is, they are going to be in very dangerous situations, with a view to their presence making a positive difference.

It’s a shame three dogs were injured, but in the overall scope of the situation, that’s so far down my list of things to be concerned as to be negligible.

How we as a society got to a place where a 17 year old kid murders children in the most innocuous setting; how that is twisted into a reason for violence and racism; how a grieving community is then subjected to rioting and violence; nearly 40 officers injured in their attempts to keep the peace; how anyone can come to terms with those murders and attempted murders of little girls …

Three working dogs’ injuries are a shame but a tiny drop in the ocean.

People and their completely brainless binary arguments ruin the chances of decent conversation everyday.

"Oh you like dogs OP, what's it like to hate the police and even worse small children"

Engage your brains

@Flossflower

im thankful I have the ability to feel sorry for the people AND the dogs. 'Only 3' is 3 too many and that won't be a correct number anyway, it'll only be the 3 that were visibly bleeding.

I don't think anyone is saying that any dogs (or any animal) being hurt is ok, just in context to what has happened this thread is in extremely poor taste

No they don't say 'what about the police dogs'. They say 'what a completely ridiculous idea'.

Dogs have been part of human society for 15,000 years. They're as fundamental as money and the nuclear family.

I didn't know it was an "old chestnut".
Ok, if we are going to proceed down this "rabbit hole".......
People choose to join the police. I agree that they are probably far from enthusiastic about being sent in to deal with riot situations. And of course they can't opt out.
But in the course of their training they will have been made aware of all the situations they might face in the course of their career - and rioting will have been one of them.
Dogs don't choose to join the police, and don't choose what situations they get to deal with.
I feel bad for the policemen/women and the police dogs facing this rioting.
I'm not in the police, and don't have much experience of dogs, so I don't feel qualified to state whether or not police dogs should be involved in situations such as yesterday in Southport.
Hope that's ok.

I think the police opt into the ticket they need for riot policing.

Maybe a police could confirm?

@Thepeopleversuswork

i don't think it's odd.

Anyway that's not what you said, you accused people of claiming this trumped the other events and NO ONE has said that.

there have been loads of threads started about the other aspects, there nothing wrong with discussing other issues surrounding it.

@Chrsytalchondalier

'bad taste' don't be daft. Caring about animal welfare AS WELL is not 'in bad taste'

perfectly acceptable thank you... police staff are also human beings with family who also worry about them.

I totally agree OP. You can feel desperately sad about the lives lost of those little girls, the police injured and the injured, bewildered animals too. None of these are mutually exclusive. I don’t know what is happening to the U.K. it’s all beyond horrendous.

I'm not sure you'd feel like that if you knew any of the victims. Sure care about the welfare of the dogs, but going on about it on the internet 😒

TBF I'm pretty sure someone started a thread yesterday asking if their eyelids were a bit wonky. I didn't see everyone piling on to tell her she'd got her priorities wrong because how dare she care about her eyelids when so much evil is going on in the world.

Besides, the one thing perhaps we can all agree on is that those riots were not about the attack on the children. The EDL was using it is a grotesque excuse for violence.

Absolutely excellent post - says it all.

Police dogs are there to reduce the risk to both perps and police. They are carefully selected from lines that have been bred for centuries to be bold in action. And, to be blunt, they're expensive: they will not be risked unnecessarily.

Personally I think the push to ban police dogs is the thin end of a wedge that ends with the banning of dog ownership entirely. It certainly plays into that narrative.

For sure........I never said they weren't.

3 police dogs injured.
Water cannon would be far more effective. People are not so keen to riot once they’re doused in cold water.
Can still remember a history lecturer at college saying that many more people would have died at Peterloo if it hadn’t rained.

Weird they seem to have more violent protests in countries that use them then.

Of course OP isn't. Can't you read?

The level of comprehension is staggering.

As a bobby's wife although he's now retired I'd rather a dog get booted than a human to be fair. Well I'd rather the dog be allowed to bite the rioters properly but that's not going to happen is it.

Why should humans come first? If it wasn't for humans these attacks wouldn't have happened in the first place!

Everyone imo comes first. Sorry that you think i shouldn't think this.

I think it’s natural to prioritise our own species. When a house was on fire near me I thought first of the elderly occupants and only after they were out, and before the firefighters arrived, did I even think of their dog.

If it wasn't for humans the police dogs wouldn't exist in the first place. Everyone cannot come first, that is an impossible statement.

They bite offenders doing a runner or attacking the police.