Devil dog laughs in the face of Taser

A Saarf London teen's Staffordshire Bull Terrier was earlier this week shot dead by police after an attempt to subdue the devil mutt with a Taser failed to stop it in its tracks. According to the Telegraph, officers confronted the 13-year-old lad's "dangerous" animal on the mean streets of Croydon on Monday night. A Scotland …

[Matt Bryant]

Armed Police!

When you absoultely, positively, got to kill, every mother barker in the room!

[Jamie Kitson]

Surely The Best Excuse For

...popped a cap in the bitch's anti-social arse.

or should that be pooped?

[Chris Thomas]

At least it's just a dog

I hear in the US + other less civilised places, they do this to humans too

[Anonymous Coward]

Cause of death

They can't blame this one on "Excited Delirium"!!

[Stu]

Police shoot the wrong target again!

They shot the wrong animal... they should have aimed for the yoof in the baseball cap!

[Solomon Grundy]

Police are Pussies

The dog injured them so badly they didn't even have to go to the hospital! How terrible. My cat has injured me so badly I didn't have to go to this hospital.

Then they tased and killed the dog - whilst destroying the evidence that the dog was dangerous. More likely they didn't like the kid so that killed his dog and arrested him.

That's what police do you know - they suck, then they kill your dog.

[Anonymous Coward]

Armed to the Teeth

These chav scum walk the streets armed with their dogs (and knives/guns) intimidating everyone around. It's just a miracle that the plods actually did something about it.

I'm still surprised that the plods actually got involved and enven more surprised that they did something practical.

[Anonymous Coward]

They tased the wrong one

I grew up with Staffordshire bull terriers. They are incredibly soft soppy things that wouldn't harm a fly (other than by sheer stupidity or not knowing their own strength)

Assuming no-one was actively attacking the owner of the pooch, in which case their natural pack protectiveness kicks in, then this dog had been mistreated, or trained to attack people. In which case, it's the owner who should be being tased as well.

[phil]

blah

I've got a staff, he's not some vicious killer dog either, but if someone, 'police' or not started pointing things at him or more importantly me i can imagine he may get the hump slightly and kick off. Like said above its the whole pack instinct thing.

Unfortunately i have little time for the police and there actions as usually in my experience they would rather nick people for no seatbelt or something equally as daft than actually do the job there paid to do which is nick criminals.

[Andy H]

@They tased the wrong one

Nearly all dogs are soppy if brought up right and nearly all kids are respectful valuable members of society if brought up right too, so as the kid was some chav scum the poor dog didn't stand a chance

[Anonymous Coward]

Staffs are hardcore

They're usually not dangerous though, unless you happen to be another dog.

Perhaps the Plod manhandled this lad?

[Anonymous Coward]

The first of many

I hope.

[Anonymous Coward]

wrong target

shoulda tazer'd and capp'd the owner instead

taking down the dog mearly cures the symptom, not the disease itself

[Lloyd]

Are you sure it was a pit bull?

It could have been Kate Moss visiting relatives, she's been awfully quiet of late.

[Anonymous Coward]

Police missed a trick here

The could have shot the dog owner as well, it would have stopped it going throught the courts

[Peter]

brilliant

Always cheers me up hearing such stories of where I live (yes, I'm afraid I'm a Croydonian)

Would've loved to have seen the look on the kids face when it happened

Now if only they'd shoot the pesky chav owners too...

Role on the el Reg reconstruction tomorrow

Copter? They have bigger guns...

[Schultz]

Isn't it... ?

cruel and inhuman treatment to t(e)ase a dog before his execution? Fortunately it was only dog and not Swiss lettuce, so no reason to invoke Geneva here.

[Steve Oliver]

What a fantastic story...

...for me to poop on!

/ I keed, I keed.

[Charles Tsang]

Not the dog you are looking for...

Heh, I was expecting some mutant hybrid dog monster out of Spore Creature Creator!

But it was just a Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is an official breed and not on the banned dogs list.

# the Pit Bull Terrier

# the Japanese tosa

# the Dogo Argentino

# the Fila Brasileiro

But the clarification here http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/domestic/dogs.htm is quite specific in that it's type of dog not breed/species. And you are also liable for a dangerous dog that harms anyone.

From the web site reading, does that mean if I attack a dog owner or the dog and it bites me, I can then complain of a dangerous dog and have it destroyed?

Hmmm seems open to abuse doesn't it?

Not that the police would do anything like cover ups or harassment...

[Anonymous Coward]

Non lethal weapons

don't do the trick so the police instantly respond with lethal firepower.

Note to criminals - if tasered, drop to the ground of your own free will or get shot with a real gun.

[Tim]

was it called well'ard?

you cant stop a dog like that, they are hard as nails. But seems they didnt try the oldest trick in the book....

A string of sausages. Would have distracted the dog (if my cartoon memory serves me correctly)

Mine's the one with the baby matress on the arms.

[Anonymous Coward]

Dog's aren't dangerous

Idiotic police who torture dogs are dangerous.

Seriously - don't threaten a dog, or a member of it's pack, and it won't bite you.

Don't try and shock it, it's going to take that as a threat!

I hope the pillocks get done for cruelty to the poor pup

[Sam]

Thet should have shot the chav

As someone said to me once; "If the world needed an enema, Croydon is where God would shove it".

[Ian Brown]

Playmobil

Where's the playmobil re-enactment?

[E_Nigma]

Cops Are Becoming Taser and Trigger-Happy

The thing is that we don't have enough information. Why did the cops stop the boy and try to detain his dog in the first place? Had anyone been attacked, I guess it would have been reported, so that shouldn't be it. Also, had any of them really been bitten, that one would have needed medical treatment, which means that that didn't happen either. So what did the poor creature do? Piss on someone's boot?!

[Norbury]

re: Dogs aren't dangerous

you talk from your arse, AC. Plenty of dogs have bitten people who weren't posing any threat to them or their 'pack'. Not necessarily just dangerous and/or badly trained dogs either. Unless you count walking past the end of a drive on the public pavement as threatening? (Just one real life example)

[Liam Johnson]

Rabid dogs

I must also admit to wondering how bad this dog could be if they didn’t even need to pop down the A&E to have a few scratches cleaned up.

[Andrew Bolton]

Take it further...

To those people who say it should have been the yoof who got shot - the parents of a 13 year old who allow him out at night with a "dangerous" dog so he can no doubt _train_ the dog to attack people are the one that should have been tased then shot, IMNSHO.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lest anyone forget

NYC have street cleaners for handling this sort of situation.

[Anonymous Coward]

Less civilized places...?

Like if you're a Brazilian electrician in some conspicuously unnamed great world capitol?

[Jamie Kephalas]

cest la vie

Life's a bitch, then they kill yours!

@ Ian Brown

L O L

[threaded]

Tasers non-lethal?

Tasers non-lethal? Give me a break!

Poor doggy, it was only doing what it was trained to do.

[Daniel B.]

Dogs can be dangerous!

I've got some bad experience ... I remember some jackass leaving his dog right outside his home about 5 years ago at night. One time I was walking back from my girlfriend's house and nearly got attacked by the damn dog, only because I was walking on the same sidewalk this dog was. I then proceeded to get a 5Kg rock and pass thru again. Had the dog attacked me, I'm sure he'd be dead.

Wonder why did the plods bothered anyway? They could've just called in the street sweepers! ;)

@Charles Tsang - "From the web site reading, does that mean if I attack a dog owner or the dog and it bites me, I can then complain of a dangerous dog and have it destroyed?"

Did you see the first Beethoven movie? That's basically what the "bad guy" does.

Dead vulture 'coz he was attacked by the chav's dog.

[Liam]

hmmm

i guess they msut have thought the dog was brazillian :)

the thing is you see these retards time and time again. my little <insert chavvy dog name> (i used to know a coke dealer who had a little white one called Charlie! sigh) is fine. he's lovely.

sorry, but bollocks. these types of dog were bread for fighting. hence the fact you cannot get their jaws unlocked. there is simply no place in society for this type of fighting dog.

@ "I grew up with Staffordshire bull terriers. They are incredibly soft soppy things that wouldn't harm a fly (other than by sheer stupidity or not knowing their own strength)" - ive had this argument with my mrs - whose parents have a massive german shep (stands about 4ft high and over 6ft on back legs!). they MIGHT be normally nice and soft, its the fact that if provoked they can and will kill/maim. its not even the dogs fault. a good example is when i first when round the mrs' parents' house and was basically told not to make any alarming sudden movements or play fight with the mrs... as this dog will rip me a new arse hole! he is just protecting her, i know that.

for me the fact that this animal can do serious damage means it shouldnt be in the hands of none-trained people - like police dog handlers etc. there are plenty of smaller dogs which make much better pets and dont have locking jaws. as far as im concerned any dog of this type that hurts anyone, the owener should be directly responsible. e.g if a dog rips my arm up - do the owner with a section 47/abh/gbh.

btw - im a big dog person - love em, but some dogs arent meant for pets.

next thing we will hear is that the dog had been smoking 'killer' skunk! or even worse, it was a polish staffy! :)

@ "Seriously - don't threaten a dog, or a member of it's pack, and it won't bite you." bollocks mate! sorry but thats such bollocks its not even worth going into! some dogs are just as bad as some people...

[Scott]

How dangerous?

Was it so dangerous that it hung around visciuosly waiting for the SWAT team to appear??

[Anonymous Coward]

You weren't there...

... so you're not in a position to say whether the dog was a danger to the police or others. Yes, police often exceed their authority and use unnecessary violence. Yes, they often overreact to a simple problem, shooting when taking a moment to let the owner calm the animal down would do the job.

However, they may also have been confronted by an animal that had been abused or goaded into being viciously aggressive. There are many people who train their animals to attack on command, or to attack strangers. It's a form of machismo and a way to intimidate others with less risk of being arrested for it - you can just claim the dog was startled and got a bit defensive.

Considering that the police felt it necessary to tase the dog, and that tasing didn't stun or stop the dog, shooting it sounds entirely justified.

As for the lack of injuries to the officers - well, are you saying they should have waited until the dog had maimed one of them, before taking action? Not likely.

It would be lovely if all vicious animals could be subdued and taken somewhere for protection and perhaps rehabilitation, but we can't even do that with our own species.

I don't really care if there's no IT angle. Still, I often wonder how some of these articles get published...

[Sketch-UK]

Who let the dogs out

Surely armed police was a bit OTT.

Couldn't they have used one of those long poles with a hoop. In the US these have been used on alligators, so I'm sure a staffy wouldn't be too much trouble.

At the very most a tranquilliser dart. These have been used on everything from grizzly bears to elephants, so I think it would work on a mutt.

[smell fresher]

Instead of tazers

Instead of tazers why don't police carry nets? Nets with a drawstring so you can make the offender into a bundle and drag them off to wherever you want to drag them.

[Anonymous Coward]

I just don't understand the issue...

Here in the USA, I can legally put down a dog that is "menacing". I do not need to taser it first, nor do I need to call a cop. The courts have ruled numerous times that cops are not here to protect us, they are here to mop up after the fact.

I guess I am just too used to being a citizen instead of being a subject.

Granted, in the following lawsuit I would need to defend the use of deadly force and validate the dog was indeed a menace. So while I might consider Paris Hilton's pink pocket poodle a menace, the court may take a rather dim view on my perceptions.

[fixit_f]

Poor Staffies

What a shame. I feel really sorry for Staffies I know you can't generalise but in my experience they're normally absolutely wonderful natured dogs. Unfortunately the fucking chavs have spotted that they're muscular and look a little like pit bulls and so they're getting them, mistreating them, not training them and generally giving the poor things a bad reputation.

[Ceilidhman]

50,000 volts

That must have been a Hotdog then.

Mine's the one with ketchup and mustard

[Kevin Gurney]

*** The Sun ***

Hate to quote from the worst source in the world, but their article on this story alledges that the 999 boys tazered the dog after it was encouraged by it's owner to attack them.

Is that true? I wasn't there so can't comment but it would make the situation more believable for me.

[ratfox]

Waiting for Webster...

To blame it on Steve Jobs...

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep, it's Dog-Kill Week in your super soaraway Reg!

or, if not actually killing, just humiliating a bit

[Dave]

Re: I just don't understand the issue...

I don't care what the law says, if a dog attacks me then I'm must saving the court's time if I kill it, because they then don't have to rule on whether it should be put down.

As for Staffies, my sister has two and they are both scared of me despite me never having done anything to them apart from come into their presence with a bigger dog (who did flatten one of them when challenged).

As for pocket poodles, yes they are a menace, although the standard poodles are nice dogs because they don't have anything to prove.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bad Experience

Me and my Labrador were once attacked by some knobhead's pitbull type dog after he'd goaded the thing. I kicked the bastard thing off me and went home, I got my baseball bat that I ALWAYS keep for hitting burglars and went past it again. The knobhead owner goaded it again to go for me so when it did I just twatted it on its back. I think I broke its spine and I then proceeded to break the knobheads arm when he tried to intervene.

He didnt complain to the plods but I definitely dont recommend it as a course of action. Id have possibly quite rightly been done for at least assault on the knobhead.

The dog didnt stand a chance with the owner it had but they were a serious danger to the community so needed to be split up. The owner had trained it to be a dangerous animal.

I dont doubt the knobhead has got another poor creature trained up now but I now no longer live there any more so its not my problem.

[Adam]

@Dog's aren't dangerous

You're entirely correct. It's always the person attacked who is to blame. I was once walking down the road in shorts and flip-flops (in other words, dressed up in a HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE OUTFIT), when I decided I would use The Force to attract a large, adult male Alsation from the other side of the road. I then proceeded to force my forearm into his mouth, and closed his jaws around it so the teeth went into the flesh. Yup, all my fault.

Ass.

I don't bear a grudge against the dog, as far as I'm concerned the dog was brought up badly (make obedience school a legal requirement and bring back the dog licence), and was angry because of its owner.

The owner's stupidity put me in a difficult ethical quandry: 1) report the dog, and have its death on my conscience or 2) not report the dog, and risk it killing a human child.

[Andy Bright]

@Chris Thomas

Their police might kill people out of hand for such crimes as being a minority immigrant, but at least they call out professional dog handlers in situations like this.

No US cop would shoot a dog unless they were actually being attacked, and if you have time to call in armed police, you aren't being attacked by a dog - at least not very aggressively.

So they call in dog handlers, who simply collar the dog using one of those poles with a wire hoop attached, cage it, kennel it and then ask the public to sponsor it. It's evaluated by someone who knows what he's talking about, and only if that person deems the dog beyond being trained out of its aggressiveness will it be put down.

And no, dogs aren't kept in small cages without ever being exercised, at least not legally. And if the tear-jerking commercials get enough of the public to provide sponsorship for the animals, they're looked after properly for the rest of their natural lives. If the money runs out, the dog is offered to private shelters. If they're all full, it's then given about 2 months (on average) before being put down.

[Brian]

@ Liam

I wondered who would be the first to trot out the usual BS about locking jaws. Staffordshire Bull Terriers are strong, but their jaws are not anatomically different than those of other dogs. Same goes for for the other breeds this is falsely attributed to: American Pit Bulls, and Bull Terriers.

[Anonymous Coward]

Twitter me the Real Reason...

The cats put them up to it.

Now back to herding them....

[D]

I ate a smarter animal for breakfast

and really don't see the issue. Yes the police could have hung around feeding the beast chocolate and tried to make friends with it, maybe one of them could have taken it home and rehabilitated it. On the other hand as we kill thousands of equally smart animals daily for snacks, it seems fair to say that by even threatening to bite a copper this little fella had gone well across the line of good doggy behaviour and there is only one penalty for being a bad dog.

[Duncan]

Dogs don't start dangerous...

..... but they can quite easily become dangerous.

Funnily enough it is much like human beings. They all start cuddly - but with the right sort of prodding, encouragment, abuse, etc, etc you end up with someone like Fred West.

But hey.... all humans are nice really.... don't blame the human!

Paris as even she would have the brains to work out how stupid some of the dangerous dogs comments are on here.

[Gary]

Ruff Justice

Like if you're a Brazilian electrician in some conspicuously unnamed great world capitol?

Or say, a packof urchins who.far from flying down to Rio,live and beg there and get shot by city plods 'cos it pisses off tourists? Come out of the glass house before chuckin' rocks! Fully agree that to judge one needs to know the full SP! (Note colloquial Saaarfspeak!) My buddy from Upper Norwood is on hols in NZ,but has his laptop,and this is on its way to him NOW! Gary

[Charles Manning]

Chav or dog

How could they tell the difference? Shoudduv popped 2 caps

[Jacob Lipman]

@ D

"Yes the police could have hung around feeding the beast chocolate and tried to make friends with it, maybe one of them could have taken it home and rehabilitated it."

Chocolate = dog poison.

Slower death than the cap-popping method.

[Jim]

Dammit!

@ Brian

I think you should have started with "bollocks mate! sorry but thats such bollocks its not even worth going into!"

[storng.bare.durid]

@Charles Manning

Too true.

But seriously, the London police are not really known for trigger happiness. After all, it takes a lot; you _actually_ have to be suspected of being a terrorist first before being pumped full of lead in public.

Judge Dredd ftw.

[Anonymous Coward]

@imbeciles who say they are'nt dangerous,

I'd beg to disagree! (im talking 1987)had a greyhound / cross, that went 'native' ran off in into the 'big blue' ('went feral') this was after nothing but care and love from being a pup - he returned weeks later obviouisly malnourished and turned on me a couple days later as I fed him (was about 12 at the time), no provaction - nothing.. just bent down near him to place the bowl - now tell me I'm in the wrong after having the front of my face mauled and subsequent plastic surgery.. - funny thing (not so funny from my point obviously) is about two weeks ago I passed my local police station and a bunch of chavs and ne'er do wells where bang outside the doors obviously waiting for one of their 'mates' (I saw the lad with the staffie with them)as it happened I turned the corner and ran into a old mate of mine who I stopped too talk (you know 50 feet away from the front doors of said police station) - along came said yobbo behind me kicking & goading the dog as he came at point of passing he instructed 'sick em' the dog basically ran up me and was within inches locking of on my throat - (yes I jumped a mile!) 'scared ya didnt it' was the cheeky little tw@s reply - bring back registration - if not for the dog but for the b@stards who seem too run this country nowdays and the parents who cant keep them under control

[Maty]

ifimust

"Yes the police could have hung around feeding the beast chocolate ..." since dogs can't metabolize chocolate (they don't have the enzymes) the stuff poisons them. Give a dog enough chocolate and that will kill it - but shooting it is quicker and more humane.

Paris, because she makes some of the discussion here seem rational. (And if she has a pink poodle she obviously knows about doggy style.)

[Bruce Sinton]

Coppers can do nothing right

Mr Charles Tsang,- The police apparently should carry a dangerous dog breed reference book with them, so that if they or some member of the public is attacked, they should then refer to the little book.

If classed as dangerous breed - OK to shoot or do whatever is necessary to protect humans.

If not in the book, then what do you suggest that they do, while someone is getting mauled?

Numerous posts slang off / abuse the police , in what seems for them, a normal reaction- I hate police , etc.

From what I have read of the UK , you have a lot of depraved criminals that the police have to protect you from.

Try going without Police , and you will soon find that the only law will be the Law of the Jungle.

(Refer to the strike by Melbourne (Australia)Police around 1926. Life became very unpleasant for the citizens . I think they appreciated the rule of law a great deal more after it returned)

[Anonymous Coward]

Sam

Sam said,

As someone said to me once; "If the world needed an enema, Croydon is where God would shove it".

No I think you will find thats Melbourne, in Victoria. Australia

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

I've also had my fill of unprovoced attacks

several dogs in the street I used to live in (not chav country at all) we unreliable. I have even once been bitten in the legs by a dachshund whilst cycling through a park where ALL dogs MUST be on a lead (on a bicycle lane, this being the Netherlands). I probably was so bold because it had a large black bouvier backing him up. The owner immediately claimed I provoked it (I did kick the little creature HARD as it was clinging to my leg). Some other assorted attacks came from Belgian shepherds (mistreated by the owner, I will grant), and a pitbull terrier (I was very happy I was carrying an oar at the time).

Reminds me of the time we suggested a dog (retriever) owner put her dog on a lead in a national forest not long after we had vainly prevented another dog from disemboweling a roebuck. We told here there was wildlife around and all dogs should be on leads.

Dog owner: "My dog does not hunt"

My brother's reply: "Oh, so it's a vegetarian, is it?"

Don't get me wrong, I like many if not most dogs, but many dog owners tend to forgive ALL dog ALL their faults, and the little creatures cannot possibly do anything wrong.

[James Prior]

Some of you ..

.. are as bad as the chav.

You walk past what appears to be an agressive dog, so you deliberately go back past it but this time with something to injure/kill it with ?

Sounds like you just want an excuse to kill it and are hoping it will go for you again ..

[Tim Coleman]

Why didn't they just...

Stick thier thumb up it's ar$e??

[Anonymous Coward]

Dogs are easy to deal with

Just toss em off a cliff like the US military does

[Liam]

fair cop guv!

ok, just done some research, no dogs jaws can lock

BUT im right in thinking that the pressure staffies and pitbulls can exert are MASSIVE compared to normal dogs.. this comes through fight breeding...

some facts:

A Pit Bull bite is three times worse than a Rottweilers.

A Rottweilers has 800psi (Pounds Per Squire Inch Jaw Pressure).

A Bull Terrier has 1200psi,

A pit bull’s bite force is 2000+ psi plus.

A Pit Bull does not lock its jaw as do other dogs, but it lower jaw scissors back and forth to rend flesh from the bone.

Pit Bulls are bred from Staffordshire Bull Terriers – Gaining their incredible musculature - and Bull Mastiffs Gaining a Cold-Hearted lack of emotion and Phenomenal resistance to pain.

i knew there was something special with the jaw but i think the old wives tale of the locking misguided me. its the fact they have a different motion that cleaves meat from the bone... unlike any other dog...

wow! must get one of these as a pet... and let a gary glitter do my babysitting too!

ive always though the no chocolate for dogs was an odd one. sinice our last 2 dogs had plenty of chocolate and lived to 17 and 18 respectively. a lot longer than many dogs!

[Anonymous Coward]

If someone threatens the dogs owner...

and the dog attacks trying to protect them, then the dog is not under control and is dangerous.

As for the idea that the Police shot the dog for fun.. The amount of paperwork involved in any situation that requires armed police to just draw there guns makes that a silly idea.

As for saying "well they didn't get that hurt", I would say they were lucky. I know it is not the same, but I have seen a Staf bite through a beef bone (Cooked) in one go. Lovely dogs, but I wouldn’t want to be bitten by one.

[Anonymous Coward]

I like dog

Ate it in Hong Kong. If we are not supposed to eat them, why are they made of meat?

[Eponymous Cowherd]

Soppy Staffs?

@AC at al

***"I grew up with Staffordshire bull terriers. They are incredibly soft soppy things that wouldn't harm a fly"***

Tell that to this lot:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/5389446.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7436408.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7250862.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7065023.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6931680.stm

And doing a search for "Staffordshire bull terrier" on the BBC news site returns a large number of reports of attacks. While it *may* be the owners to blame and it *may* be because staffs are the dog of choice for chavvy fuckwits who encourage them to become vicious, they *do* appear to be responsible for an inordinately large number of attacks.

[TimB]

@Bruce Sinton

Well no one even needed a trip to A&E for a tetanus jab, so clearly "mauled" is a little OTT.

As has been said above, if they had time to wait for armed officers, they had time to wait for a dog handler.

[Anonymous Coward]

Instead of tasers

Why don't the police just carry big sticks?... oh...

Dog owners should be held entirely accountable for their dogs, dog craps in street owner has crapped in street, dog eats child, owner has eaten child etc.

That's what the fundamental problem with the dangerous dogs act was, they worried about the type of dog when it's the owner who is the problem.

[Chewy]

RE:They tased the wrong one

Exactly. If a person was mistreated throughout its childhood would we be surprised if they grew up with a screwed up personality.

[Tim]

People who keep bull terriers...

... should be tased, repeatedly. I pity the pooch! In my eyes, keeping animals as pets is a form of cruelty. Then again, I reckon we should bring back hunting, but only for food; and we should even the odds so there is a 50/50 chance of killing or being eaten.

Tarzan only hunted for food.

[Steve]

@ Bruce Sinton

"From what I have read of the UK , you have a lot of depraved criminals that the police have to protect you from."

Well I'll defer to your judgement then as something that some guy on the other side of the world once read clearly outweighs my first-hand experience of every police officer I've met. You're basically saying, "Be nice to the guy who harasses you, because the guy who'll replace him will shoot you in the face."

Besides, from what I've read of Australia, it's entirely populated by the descendents of depraved UK criminals, baby-eating dingoes, worried sheep and the national dish is something called a barbie(?).

[Gavin Berry]

You're all missing a lot of Points here people.

First of all:-

1. The Police fu&*ed up, Staffordshire Bull Terrier's are not a banned dog, fact, deal with it.

2. The Police fu&*ed up again, trying to take a dog from it's owner is very likely to provoke and attack from any dog, good or bad, bull terrier or not.

3. The Police fu&*ed up again, why the hell did they not call:-

a. The RSPCA

b. Local council's dog catcher

c. A Police dog handling unit!

What where they thinking they needed armed response for?!?!?

ITS ONLY A DOG FOR GODS SAKE!

They felt they were in so much danger they called in armed response? I dont think so.

4. It does not matter if they owner is a chav or not.

5. If the owner was goading the dog to attach they should have arrested him, again get a dog catcher to deal with the dog.

6. Tazer's are only for Humans!!

7. Any dog no matter the size or breed can bit your fu&*ing hand off if its angry enough, they are built for it, so get someone trained to deal with it!

8. If no one had to go to hospital they no one needed to shoot the dog.

I own 3 dogs.

I think some dogs are just bad, but usually because of the owner and their upbringing, but I know 99% of them can be changed for the good with the right training.

This is an appalling example of Police failing to do the right thing, which is what they are supposed to be trained and paid to do.

[Anonymous Coward]

Train the f*ck*ng plods.

Without making any judgements on the rightness or wrongness of their judgement of the dog as a threat, there is still one major criticism to be made of the police: inadequate training and awareness in Taser use.

Now listen carefully, class.

A taser is designed to immobilise a human. A dog is not a human. Animals of the order "carnivora" are generally much more resilient than animals of the order "primates". Thus a standard human-sized dose of electricity will not drop a dog. Tasers are known to cause serious agitation to their recipients. An agitated dog is likely to do what...?

Yes, PC Barford.

Correct, attack people.

So what should we not do...?

PC Watson.

Yes, we should not tase dogs.

So it just reinforces that same old point: Tasers are being handed out to ignorant, untrained plods. Can we please start giving them appropriate training? Pretty please?

[Gordon]

Another one for the IPCC

Considering the animal had only caused 2 minor wounds to the Police and nobody else, i'm surprised they saw fit to shoot the animal. Police guns are there to be used as a last resort when not doing so would put the public or the officer in serious peril. Not when your dog van is more than ten minutes away and you can't be arsed to wait. The level of justification required to fire a round is very high, and I personally believe the officer responsible (and their section Sgt) should be removed from duty until the IPCC resolves that the criteria for shooting had been met and that the officer had no practicable alternative. Should the IPCC fail to determine this, then the officer(s) responsible should be charged under firearm legislation, and prosecuted.

I'd question the quality of the officer's training. Anyone who'd actually been fully trained on Tasers would know that they usually don't work against dogs - in fact it's the exception when they do and Taser Corp point this out in their formal training. Pepper-sprary (Captor/Parva) will work on dogs in terms of driving them off, as will a fire extinguisher. The Met definately DO have access to tranquiliser guns and the specialist vets needed to use them.

[Glenn Charles]

This will probably get me in trouble...

but, don't you brits know how to spell? it's inquiries, not enquiries...

--Glenn

8]

[Anonymous Coward]

Animal Control

Don't you have animal control officers over there? WTF, no one could collar the dog? Pathetic.

[Andy Jones]

If you need a definition of a dangerous dog.....

then one that keeps coming at you, even after getting 50,000 volts up the jacksie, is it.

[Robert Day]

Cats and Dogs

Colour me scared. I have a pair of Siamese cats... None too visious, although the younger one has been known to partake in a fly-by-clawsing now and then, taking with her a small souvenier of my flesh - especially from underneath the bed, when naked toes seem to dance very temptingly before her....

However, said aforementioned felines have developed, over the years, a taste for the great outdoors. This love for the outdoors is not an issue, in the country, where nature is goign to run it's course, and they hunt small prey for sport, and light snacks. However, in the slightly larger metropolis in which I currently reside, the small prey amount to pocket-dogs, overgrown rats (although their owners call them Yorkies) and other similarly sized psuedo-aggressive creatures, including the ever-menacing pidgeon. An office of the law, casually observing this behaviour may decide to restrain the animal, and be subject to the fly-by-clawsings I referred to earlier. This woudl no doubt, induce a taser blast. Unfortunatey, a 10 lb Siamese cat is not going to survive this kind of voltage, regardless of how many of it's 9 lives it has left. No need for the Firearm. Krispy Kitty in one shot. Thank you for protecting the good citizens of my home town, Officer Kat Killer!

Lock your felines in the house, for their own good, I say.

Dead Bird, obviously.

[NS Clerk]

Don't tell Chloe Ashman the breed is safe

Didn't anyone see the Sun article? "A Staffordshire bull terrier ripped away half of the six-year-old’s throat." Poor lass. Besides her, there have been a spate of incidents recently with the breed. Can't shoot them fast enough, especially since as so many have observed tasering don't work on canines.

Plus. I'd love to pop a cap into the dogs fouling my lawns. Perhaps a citizens' brigade with delegated rights.

Of course, I did just admit to reading the Sun, which probably gets me blackballed.

[bob]

My pooches!

My dogs don't like guns or violence and start barking if either thing happens. As far as dangerous, my house cats and children keep my three staffies in line.

Sad they had to cap the dog, but as many people have said above they are hard as nails, and very determined creatures.

You cannot hit or subdue these dangerous creatures and have them back off, unless you tickle their nose, or chase them with a broom.

paris, because dead puppies aren't much fun.

[Brian]

@ Liam again

"A Pit Bull does not lock its jaw as do other dogs, but it lower jaw scissors back and forth to rend flesh from the bone."

"i knew there was something special with the jaw but i think the old wives tale of the locking misguided me. its the fact they have a different motion that cleaves meat from the bone... unlike any other dog..."

Sorry, going to have to cop you again! You just googled up the other BS myth about Pitbull jaws (and yes I see the source that you used). The 'scissor jaw' is just a term for the arrangement of their teeth in upper and lower jaw. The other stuff about PSI is junk science at best. I would agree that they *are* very strong dogs though.

Gotta love the hysteria over dog attacks in the UK - well everywhere really - the percentage of injuries or deaths caused by dogs is *utterly insignificant* compared to car accidents, knives, and just about anything else remotely dangerous. But the press need their stories, and the public need their hangings, I guess.

[Anonymous Coward]

Never mind keeping dogs

what worries me most is not that these (obviously unfit) owners are allowed to keep dogs - they are allowed to have children too

[Charles Tsang]

@Bruce Sinton

Heh, I think that's why I quoted all the section on the "dangerous dogs". It's not restricted to breed or type. Dangerous behaviour is also qualifying. But it's a bit open to abuse that. As I said, I could attack the owner of a chihuahua (or the chihuahua) and if bitten by the dog be able to claim "dangerous dog" - some unscrupulous people wouldn't even wait for the episode to occur but dress up some explanation.

This is sounding a bit like the South Park episode where self defence allows you to shoot endangered species with the cry "it's going for me!".

But that aside, the story as we have it doesn't have enough detail to let us make a judgement. Which is why most people are supplying various scenario differences to justify/vilify the police action.

All I'm saying like quite a few others in the comments that any dog should attack/growl at people that attack its' owner or itself. Whether the attack be a taser or a baseball bat!

Funnily enough, don't they have cattle dogs in Oz? Friend of mine down Melbourne has a blue heeler that jumped around and barked a lot but didn't do anything useful when the owner(my friend) got into a severe physical altercation with another guy on the street. He was well disappointed that the dog (that can wrestle a cow to the ground by biting it's nose and pulling- hence cattle dog) merely did the encouragement thing. But I'm more worried about the spiders and numerous other poisonous beasties that you have down there!

[Anonymous Coward]

You *still* weren't there

So all this talk of waiting for an animal control officer, using a tranquilizing dart, etc. is pure bollocks. Who has tranquilizing darts?

There are far more police than animal control officers. Police use sirens and flashing lights to speed to a call if need be; I am not aware of such equipment in animal control vehicles (though I admit such may exist).

When a largish animal is being aggressive, there is a reasonable fear of being injured. A large dog can do considerable damage. You can try to arrest the idiot who is goading it, but that doesn't stop the attack or aggression. If anything, it makes it worse.

No dog is worth a human life. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. If the dog appears likely to cause injury to someone, it is reasonable to apply force - even deadly force. It is unfortunate that people train these animals to be vicious and aggressive. It often costs a dog its life. Blame the idiots who abuse their animals, and not those who try to protect us from these abused animals.

In a perfect world you'd take the dog and rehabilitate it, or let it live somewhere it can do no harm. But in a perfect world, people wouldn't be training their dogs to be aggressive, would they? So we're living in an imperfect world where fools abuse animals to make them mean, and then the poor animal may get killed as it does what comes naturally. It's not fair, but life isn't fair.

Someone pointed out that police don't casually shoot, and this is true. Every time a firearm is discharged, there is a tremendous amount of paperwork about it. Questions are asked, investigations are made, and the results go into their permanent record. Shooting a dog isn't going to look good, no matter what the facts. If they shot the dog, they felt it was needed.

[TimB]

@AC

You realise that the police have their own dog control units, right? With flashy blue lights and everything?

[Anonymous Coward]

But, mister...

...that dog wouldna *voom* if you put 50,000 volts through 'im!

Mine's the one with the large foot on the back, and the "Police Power/Electrical" lapel pin...

[Anthony]

Ignorance

the ignorance of people is astounding, to think the police are in the right , due to convelooted opinions formed by bull**** TV reports and very poorly reported incidents like this on the web.

Increase in incidents, isnt it an increase in reports so they can use the media to decide our next mondset, war on guns , war on knioves, war on terror , even thta bull**** increased of abducted children recently - just provoking us into saying ' yes we needed microchipped RFID tags for our kids'

guess what they want to take our dogs now, expect to me more reports like this untill . 'something must be done!' - (new law psuedo voted into action banning dogs) something along those line, were played on such basic principles and dont even notice - wake up

[mel]

I was there (poor dog)

The cold shooting of the dog took place outside my house... the brave cops only used the tasser on the dog 10 times befor the dog ran off ,,,a dog unit came he just stood around like a fart in a trance....The armed police turned up a short while later.along with around 20 more cops..about an 1 later with the pinned down all this time.. A "marks man "??? shot the dog point blank range 3 times .

The c@nt couldnt hit a barn door if it was hanging on his nose...We couldnt belive what we saw..The police were roood and agresive to us.told us to go go in as it was a crime scene ...where were SOCO never turned up .As sure as sh@t stinks i put a complaint into the police staition involved and the IPCC the next morning.

[Evan Haines]

picking at techincallities @ Jamie Kitson

hello, in the act of somthing having a cap POOPED in its arse this would surley involve the use of the attackers 'derier' therefore if the police resorted to using there own arses as firearms, this would create a revolution world over, resorting in people having to get licences for their own bottoms, and children pulling 'moonies' at cars would have to be arrsested for threatening with a leathal weapon, (although this is already the the case in most council estates) and this would cuase a major inconvenience to the human race- and indeed all animals except those with no anus e.g jellyfish, polliticains, furthermore the police would have to be questioned over the fact that indecent exposeure was neccicary,

a message for those of you have just finished reading this, yes i am incredibly sad and indeed have no life...

[Anonymous Coward]

dogs dont even eat pork

The default position of the retards in uniform in my part of the world is to get the baton or mace out to anyone who dares even speak to them. The profile seems to be a twenty something dwarfish woman with a face like a rats arse and a temper to match. I would bet money they instigated this. Probably had some beef with the dogs owner or wound the dog up for a bit of confrontational fun.

The marksman bit just doesn't wash anymore either. I'm surprised they didn't surround a squirrel down the road and shoot it to pieces. "Well it's got 4 legs and was in the vicinity of the suspect."

And some are calling for these w@nkers to be armed.