Belfast fury as Judge orders that disabled girl’s pet dog be put to sleep

I agree with the judge.. These animals have been ripping and tearing humans apart since they were bred. Just this week three more deaths in the US, including a small child in Connecticut. Get the girl another pet. Would you like to be in the judge's shoes ? He is smart enough to choose the child's life over the dog. It is now time for those second guessing the judge to think what the consequences will be if THEY are wrong (none for them)

To WHATLSINANAME;;A boston bull terrier also will bite and not let go. Their jaws lock. Would you be afraid of a boston?You would be scared to death of my chihuahua who will bite if she doesnt want you to touch her.

As a pit bull owner for many years, these types of reports don't surprise me. Many of Micheal Vicks dogs went on to become therapy dogs. Again, knowing the breed, this doesn't surprise me - at all. The first pit bull I ever met was a pit bull. The problem is not with this breed but with irresponsible owners. The next thing ya know, the Irish will ban firearms, Harley Davidsons and fireworks.

What a load. I own a chihuahua and I defy any cop or warden to try and examine her in her home. She would bite anyone who touches her that she doesnt want to touch her.Someone want to say she is a public menace? IM ashamed to call myself Irish.

Who cares how pitbulls are bred. The fact of the matter is this type of dog has killed or injured many children and adults. Just because the dog is loyal to its owners does not mean it is not an intimidating and potentially lethal and unpredictable menace to strangers. If this family or any family had any compassion for the general public and its own children it would procure a dog, any dog, besides a pit bull. I am sick and tired and angry reading of all the tragedies here in the USA with these kinds of dogs. I am also a bit perplexed how much compassion and care the public has for an unfortunate animal, far more than many stories involving the suffering and plight of children in poor nations.

A point of note here is that this refers to northern Ireland, where Pit Bulls and cross breeds are illegal for completely illogical reasons. Pit bulls are by their true nature very gentle and child friendly dogs and are only turned vicious by people who should not own dogs. This does not apply in the South where they are not illegal.

Pit bulls were bred to be aggressive and fight BULLS, not people. In fact, even when fighting they had to be able to be safely handled by their owners. They can be trained to fight other dogs or even humans, but they aren't naturally aggressive toward people unless purposely trained or bred to be so. They are generally loyal and loving toward family members. If they are normally socialized and raised around small dogs, cats, and young children they aren't a danger to them. Why did the authorities get involved in this case anyway? Did the dog attack someone?

This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Don't these people have something to do in solving actual problems?

People make dogs aggressive, rarely and I do mean rarely, are they born that way. If Ireland doesn't like "pitbulls spay and neuter them and time will take care of that breed. BYW it's not a breed but a mix of several terriers.

In response to the post from JohnKinMD: People are known to turn on people!! MAN is the reason why some dogs are aggressive, not because they are born a certain breed. If Lennox has never bit anyone or had any complaints then he should not have been seized.

You say: Judge Rodgers told the court that he could not be satisfied that Lennox did not pose a threat to the public after listening to reports of attacks on a dog warden and a former Metropolitan Police dog handler who examined Lennox. When did Rodgers ever see the dog? He didn't make any first hand findings but based on hearsay from 3 dog wardens who couldn't get their stories straight, one dog warden outwardly lied saying the dog was aggressive and she was afraid of it when a 20 minutes video showed exactly the opposite, her playing with a friendly dog, allowing him to lick her face (when's she being charged with perjury) and a unstable fool who's no expert, not an animal behaviorist who whined that the people were looking at him (they couldn't believe how foolish he was) and he's unqualified per law to testify as an expert as he lacks a college degree and proper training. Verdict and sentence obtained by fraud---law dictates---mandates---it be overturned Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Belfast-fury-as-Judge-orders-that-disabled-girls-pet-dog-be-put-to-sleep-130933533.html#ixzz1ZfDuSZWz

I certainly hope they are able to win on appeal. The dog in question has never bitten or attacked anyone -- including the animal warden who decided the dog is too dangerous. A lot of dogs isolated from their owners and placed in an artificial environment with unfamiliar faces would undoubtedly act in a similar way. I could understand the need to put down this dog if he had gotten loose and attacked people, but this is not the case at all. This is another sad example of the failed breed-specific polices of the UK government. The number of dog bites and attacks have not gone down since the UK Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and N.I. Dangerous Dogs Order 1991 were enacted but actually have increased! It is hoped Lord Redesdale's sponsored bill currently in the House of Lords reaches fruition sooner rather than later to repeal this antiquated Act. Perhaps Northern Ireland would then follow suit as well. As for the present situation would hope someone in higher authority will have a heart and intervene on this child's behalf. well.

The fact of the matter is that an animal has a mind of it's own.Any animal no matter how non-aggressive is capable of attack especially if it is feeling unwell.It's many a farmer was killed by his own bull because he thought he knew the personally of his own animal.Pit-bulls are very efficient at killing and no pit-bull can be trusted 100%.Simple as that.Dogs don't consider themselves a pet or some sort of play thing.They consider themselves part of the pack/family and all are deadly serious about it.

Here cry over these three dogs who were put to sleep and were "never before been aggressive" NY Post Oct 2 WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- A 20-month-old southern Connecticut girl was mauled to death after being attacked by as many as three pit bulls. The child was visiting her aunt's apartment in West Haven when the attack occurred Friday, authorities told WVIT-TV. She was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital. As many as three dogs were involved in the fatal attack and those animals have been euthanized, WVIT reported. A West Haven police officer said the dogs had been put into another room when the girl was visiting but somehow managed to get out. An investigation is underway, police said. The girl's aunt told The New Haven Register that the dogs had never before been aggressive, but neighbors told police they had previously seen signs of aggression.

Here cry over thee three dogs. "the dogs had never before been aggressive" http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/conn_child_mauled_to_death_s6irLsB3Rr8k1D0bG6jw1L