Save Lennox

[misdee]

here

i noticed the other thread had gone.

lennox family are waiting on the 2nd day of court on the 23rd to hear lennox' fate.

lennox is a American Bull dog Labrador cross. he was seized by the dog warden and sentenced to be destroyed by the way he looks. 'type'. he was deemed a pit bull type dog.

his brother, from the same litter, was classed as a labrador cross.

his fate lies with teh court, but there is a petition with over 86 000 signatures trying to save a dog from death based on how he looks.

The other thread drew so much controversy as people focused on prose altered to reflect racism against dogs in a similar way to when it was levelled against humans and this was never done so as to do an injustice to, or insult anyone. It is an attempt to make people see a life is a life, whichever species. I'm saddened that the thread went so wrong as the intent and the cause is so worthy.

Dooin - I think that some chinese whispers have been at work in the worldwide telling. As I understand it, they were after the dog, but got the address wrong on the form. I'm pretty sure that's what the family said when they were able to look at things in the cold light of day, afterwards.

Misdee - spot on. "Type" is the very problem. Someone posted something about DNA analysis on the other thread. It is meaningless under that devastating Act that is BSL if a crossbreed appears "type" and the burden of proof is on the owner to prove they are not. How can this happen when a Labrador measures up under their the definition of type?

Coffee - both of my staffords and the occasional dog mate (always bull breed or crosses come to think of it.. biased? Moi?? ) that stays around here have all loved GSD's. Well, the well socialised ones that we knew. Oldboy could be a funny old bugger despite his socialisation, but GSD's were generally on his approved list (he was socialised enough to forget being torn apart by one when he was about 18 months old, as despite my dog-friendly immaturity at that time I realised it was that particular one... not all of them. He rolled over and it tore his belly up. The owners were almost taken to court after it ripped up most dogs int he area and then finally bit another owner, but that's another story. Suffice to say the owners were not all they could have been. Afterwards, he still used to disappear for a frolic in the woods with his best mate, a GSD). Heck.. could this be related to deed not breed?? Who knows??

Whatever our dog breed preference, bias or whatever, Lennox's case has too far reaching implications for any dog lovers to ignore. You might think you are safe, but whilst BSL is active and/or considered appropriate/relevant then no breed is really safe.

Hmm, maybe, MJ. As I said I only know of the story second hand via MN and other rescuers I know in RL. I have never met, nor had any contact with, lennox's owners. Perhaps someone who has could shed some light onto why the DW was interested in the first place?

I do know that given the amount of attention and press coverage Lennox has gained, both locally and nationally, were there anything untoward with his behaviour or temperment a neighbour/fellow dog walker or 'victim' of Lennox would have come forward by now to tell their story and we all know how much the tabloid press love stories on savage 'devil dogs'. As there have been no stories and no-one has anything but good things to say about Lennox, I think it is safe assume the family are telling the truth and he is good natured family pet.

Also on the other thread someome questioned why would a doggy person i.e a DW keep a dog in unfit and cruel conditions? I can guarentee it can and does happen. My own dog came from the pound in a terrible state, stained yellow from the urine he had been forced to sleep in and with sores on his feet and belly from laying on a constantly wet and urine soaked floor and then of course there is Bruce another victim of BSL, his family did get to see him and the conditions in which he was kept. Had a person and not a pound who inflicted treatment like that upon a dog they'd have been banned from keeping animals again.

thisisyesterday, if a dog looks like a pit bull and measures like one, regardless of breed, he can be deemed illegal and pts.

Petition signed and page shared. I still recall at University a lecturer describing the DDA as the only piece of legislation where you can be imprisoned, tried and executed without ever having committed a crime hopefully, justice will prevail for Lennox

im sorry to sound crass, but this dog was put down ages ago wasn't it?

no blue the dog has not been PTS yet, the case was adjourned on Friday to be heard on 23 Sept iirc.

The poor dog has been away from its owners for over a year now, kept in council kennels and not socialised.

lennox is still alive and the family are still fighting for his release.

There was an article in one of the local papers ages ago to say that there had been complaints that Lennox was barking at people as they walked past his window.

that's the only even slightly negative thing about him I have ever heard and if that's the "evidence" the DW was going on then they better come for my terrier, next door's cavalier king charles and the black lab across the street.

don't know who some people think they are, barging into peoples homes and taking family pets cause they 'look dangerous'!!

picture says it all IMO

Bluekangaroo - there was another dog called Lennox who was killed by the authorities about a year ago - probably not even that. I think he had been let out by burglars and was picked up by the authorities and pts straight away as they said he was dangerous. All the photos show a terrified dog who probably growled at them as he was so frightened. Worse still, he had a microchip and they never scanned him and they never gave him his lawful 7 days in the pound.

Good photo, Misdee. I haven't seen that one until now.

Dooin - It's on his facebook info page that the warrant was wrongly addressed and when you find articles interviewing Caroline she only states that the warrant was wrongly addressed and has not publicly alleged that it was not her dog they were after as far as I can see. I think the wrong address thing just further highlights the dog warden's incompetence!

Good point about the conspicuous lack of people coming forward with all their stories about how dangerous Lennox was.

"Interesting that this thread has had nowhere near the amount of traffic that the other had"

Yeah... funny, isn't it?

You might get more traffic now though . I'd love to be in MNHQ and be able to see how many people click on this thread now, even if they have nothing to say when they realise who the OP isn't.

I just learned that the other thread had been deleted. I guess that's my fault as well, despite not having posted on it or even read it for 24 hours or more, following my final post on Friday night.

I can up your readership numbers even more if you really want me to.

Wait a moment...

Told you I could!

BTW, another dog, a 10 month old Staffie cross girl, is also due to die in a little over a week thanks to BSL, unless her owners can fight the might of a biased law and uneducated system and win their appeal.

Brief info and petition for VENUS

The mind boggles that any dog could be destroyed because he is considered 'a type' - surely, a dog is dangerous or not, not depending on his breed but largely depending on who is at the other end of the lead?? Gross generalisation, I know, but surely less stupid than killing dogs by measuring tape .

"Hmm, maybe, MJ. As I said I only know of the story second hand via MN and other rescuers I know in RL. I have never met, nor had any contact with, lennox's owners. Perhaps someone who has could shed some light onto why the DW was interested in the first place?"

Dooin, the DW visited the family home with a batch of docs to deliver - there was no other reason, no complaint from neighbours or the wider public, nothing. Those docs were dog registration ones which the family had religiously and successfully filled in, sent to the council and had returned to them every year since Lennox's birth, something which is necessary under NI law.

Val - do you mean the dog licence forms?

Or is there something different about Lennox that required registration under the DDA?

Because I have a dog and I live in Northern Ireland and all that ever happens is I get a form in the post, fill it in and send it back with my fiver cheque and they send out a licence and a numbered disc for his collar in the post.

Just Dog Licence forms, stabby, standard, everyday stuff.

Every year previously this too has been the case with Lennox I understand but this time round the DW dropped them off. As far as I know she has never given an explanation as to why.

The DW was up to something then - I've had a dog since I was 9 and I am 41. I have never ever ever had a DW drop off a form.

The DW, Yolanda Elwood, is not known for her affection for the truth, that's for sure.

there you go snarling at wardens

That article says he was reported for barking and snarling at dog wardens - I can't find the other article I read but I am sure IIRC it said he had been complained of for barking at the window.

Oh and the article says he was seized during a "routine licence inspection" - WTF? I have had a dog for 30 years and have never ever ever had a "routine licence inspection".

Val - I saw pics of the DW with Lennox licking her and her smiling and laughing and yet she's supposed to be terrified of this aggressive dog??

Signed for Lennox and Venus.

Went to a small dog show yesterday (The Waddesdon Woof!) and MuttDog's Vets were there, so stopped and had a chat - they'd heard about Lennox and all promised to sign as well (one actually thought it was all over yesterday, and was relieved to hear they'd run out of time). That's another 13 signatures at least.

There were dogs of all shapes and sizes there (incl an amazing Leonberger - was like a bear on a lead!) Told as many people as I could - not one person I spoke to thought this was acceptable. I kept looking at some of the larger, more powerful dogs (Rottie, Doge de Bordeaux, Bull Mastiff) and even the obligitory Labs (hunter/wax jacket county!) - all of them could fall under the BSL 'Type'. Such a crock of shite.

Lets hope BCC finally see some sense.