Toughen up penalties for vicious dogs

Elaine Parr, who owns Scruffs dog grooming parlour in Heckmondwike, said she had heard so many stories of pets being attacked by vicious dogs that she decided to fight back.

She said: “Owners have been seen letting their dogs off the lead so they will attack other dogs. They should be made to see what happens to the animals that have been savaged and the pain they go through. They should be made to pay vets’ fees. And they should be brought to justice.

“You do not expect to take your dog out for a walk, only to bring it back in a body bag.

“If this happened to a politician’s animal I’m sure the law would be changed.”

Elaine said she had decided to start the campaign after hearing about a dog which was killed by a Staffordshire bull terrier in front of its terrified young owners – and she said she believed people were letting their vicious dogs off leads on purpose to see them fight other animals.

She said she had a petition in her shop calling for tougher measures to prevent dogs being killed in this way.

She said: “Three out of four people who come into the shop have a story to tell and some of them are horrific. You hear of this type of thing all the time on the Greenway and in parks.

“It needs to be taken seriously and it needs to be stopped.

“I have heard people are even stealing cats and small dogs out of their owners’ gardens to bait their dogs. These people are out of the cave age.

“It’s heartbreaking to see a savaged dog in shock and pain and the owners are heartbroken too.

“Politicians need to be serious about this – these dogs are lethal, but it’s not the dog’s fault, they are only doing what they have been made to do. The owners are at fault; it’s just cruelty from beginning to end.” You can sign Elaine’s petition at Scruffs, Oldfield Lane, Heckmondwike.

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