(Picture is of Lennox as a puppy, from Examiner)
This is the story of Lennox, a well-behaved, loving therapy dog who was seized from his home two years ago, by Belfast City Council. That was the last time his owners, including a Special Needs girl, saw him as he was put on Death Row for looking like a Pit Bull Dog.
I first encountered the “Save Lennox” campaign a few
weeks ago on Facebook. The Lennox story was all over Facebook, Twitter and the
Worldwide Web. Yet I never saw it mentioned on TV for some unknown reason.
Naivety prevents me there.
Poor Lennox was then existing in a dark, concrete
cell, lying on sawdust, surrounded by his own excrement. It was reported that
he had developed sores and other ills. He was deprived of the human company he
loved.
Two years or so ago things were so different. Lennox
was a therapy dog for a “disabled” girl. She later said she wanted him back for
Christmas, as he was, “My bestest friend in the whole world.” His loving family
registered him, had him micro chipped, DNA registered, and various other
official safeguards. Being unsure how he might react to strangers, they had a
high wall built around their garden, and kept him muzzled and on a lead when
out.
Lennox was half Labrador (most gentle of breeds) and
Mexican Bulldog. These are not on the BSL Dangerous Dogs list. He did slightly
resemble a Pit Bull (listed as dangerous) however. BSL here is not the
wonderful “British Sign Language”: rather it is “Breed Specific Legislation” –
notably to get rid of dangerous dogs. Opponents of BSL simply say, “Deed not
Breed”.
Everything went wrong 2 years ago when wardens of
BCC (Belfast City Council) apparently went to the wrong address, following up a
report, but ended up taking Lennox away. BCC claim that some male at the house
said, “If you try to touch him he’ll rip your throat out.” If that guy did say
that, he must have regretted it ever since. BCC condemned Lennox to death on
the grounds he resembled a Pit Bull dog.
To cut a long tale short the family went to court
three times to try to free Lennox. It is said that their second appearance occurred
after making an Appeal against the first court decision, and the same
judge turned up to decide the outcome. Their third appearance was at the
highest level in Northern Ireland.
A senior politician, a TV Dog Expert, expert Dog
Assessors and even celebrities got involved in this case. A few weeks back the
family reluctantly gave up on the legal route. Offers were made by dog experts
to re-home Lennox in Ireland or America (in a special sanctuary).
BCC stuck to their argument that their dog expert
found Lennox dangerously unpredictable. Their wardens supported this view. His
“measurements” matched those of a Pit Bull so...
Recently the “Save Lennox” campaign hit fever pitch.
There were street protests around the world. Unfortunately death threats were
made to BCC workers, and booby trapped letters posted etc. On the other hand it
was reported that people who telephoned BCC to complain were laughed at and
were met with animal noises. When that special needs girl rang them for news,
they slammed the phone down on her.
Pro-Lennox dog experts questioned the credentials of
the BCC dog expert. Photographs were leaked of a BCC warden allowing Lennox to
lick her. This week a video showed an expert testing the dog for aggressive
behaviour: he was teased and slapped and stood over, but did not react. (Such
tests can be more severe than this, apparently, but surely if Lennox was
dangerous...).
Last Wednesday BCC announced that they had had
Lennox PTS (put to sleep) by humane injection. They refused to let the family
say goodbye first. BCC also refused to send his body back to the family, or even
his collar, and said they would send ashes in the mail. No need for me to
describe the reaction from around the world.
“Save Lennox” are now concentrating on getting those
BSL laws changed. They want to avoid another Lennox. Right now there is a similar
“Save Ivan” campaign for a dog in England. Another dog on Death Row now. Actually
there was a case like this in the 1990s: a dog in London. Apparently he licked
the face of his executioner...
Paul
Butters
Tags: Save Lennox, Lennox the dog, BCC, BSL,
Dogs on Death Row, Pit Bull Dogs, Dogs Put To Sleep
No comments:
Post a Comment