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Pitbull savages woman's guide dog at train station

Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent
19.11.09

This is the shocking video of a Labrador guide dog being savagely attacked by a pitbull-cross dog in a railway station subway.

A 57-year-old blind woman was walking through Cricklewood station when her guide dog, Neela, a brown Labrador, was attacked by another dog.

Transport police today issued the images in a bid to trace the violent dog's owner.

Detective Constable Gerry Griffin said: “This dog was not muzzled and was dangerously out of control.

“The woman was extremely distressed and feared for own safety. What made this awful incident even more harrowing was the fact that the man made no effort to assist her or to check that she was alright once the attack was over.”

Her guide dog suffered a deep puncture wound to the neck and is still receiving veterinary treatment after the incident on Sunday, 4 October.

Police say the attack lasted around three minutes.

The pitbull-cross dog's owner kicked and punched his animal to prise it away from the guide dog before both ran off towards Lichfield Road.

The man is described as white, aged mid to late twenties and around 5'11 tall, of slim build.

He had a cropped beard, brownish to red hair, which was cut short. He was wearing a grey- coloured top and black tracksuit bottoms.

The dog is described as a muscular terrier, possibly a cross-breed, brown with white paws, white around its nose and at the tip of its tail.

DC Griffin said: “We have carried out a number of local enquiries and ask that anyone who recognises the man gets in contact with us.

“The owner would do well to hand himself in as his animal poses a clear danger to other dogs and to the public.”

The incident comes amid mounting concern over the number of so-called “weapon dogs” being used by young criminals.

Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse, said: "This is a revolting attack and must have been terrifying for its owner.

"Unfortunately, these types of attacks occur on a daily basis in London. I hear of family pets and other dogs being killed, mutilated or scarred for life as well as people being attacked or intimidated.

"That is why I am calling for tougher penalties for owners who allow their dogs to be aggressive toward others. Serious penalties will make dog owners think twice, but it is also time for us to have a national debate on how to deal with these canine weapons."

Scotland Yard expects to seize more than 1,000 dangerous dogs this year, up from 719 in 2008.

Anyone with information about the Cricklewood attack should British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Reader views (74)

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In the years I ran dog training classes the only breeds I ever had aggression problems with were a westie, a jack russel and a border collie, now all you people that haven't a clue what you're talking about are you gonna say that these breeds should be banned too? Yes licences for ALL dogs needs to be seriously considered and also the compulsory taking of an 'idiot' test before anyone can own ANY breed of dog, and the compulsory attendance of puppy classes for socialising, ALL breeds of dogs in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous, wake up you people and unless you really know what you're talking about, shut up.
And to the owner of the poor lab in this attack, I sincerely hope you both make a full recovery very soon, I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been.
I hope they find this moronic waste of space owner and give him a good and deserved punishment for not having his dog under control in the first place.

- Ness, St Neots UK

Hello to all,
I come from a family that always have had dogs...
mostly the "tough" breeds(dobermans,rotts,German Shepherds)
We have 6 dogs that all live in the house which there breeds are malteeze,2 German Shepherd,Labrador,2 rottweilers.
They all are guard dogs WHEN IT COMES to breaking in our house but whene they are in bublic THEY ARE CONTROLLED and good behaved dogs....
My point is....
Its all about A)Training,B)Socializing and the most IMPORTANT C)Giving theese types of dogs to people With EXPERIENCE and WITH A BRAIN...
Once a law comes out that has to do with only EXPERIENCED PEOPLE can own dogs like pitts and rotts and terriers then maybe the lives of people and dogs that have or haven't been attackted will finaly change....
Its not the dogs fault,its people who can't handdle theese types of dogs and just want to own one for its fame...But mostly its the Breeders fault who give theese type of dogs to anybody who can afford money for one without checking if they are capable to handle them.....

- Aimilia Stavoravdi, Greece

why cant it be law to muzzle all dogs in public ??
also how about having a license for dogs ?
who needs to approve this ?

- Mb, cornwall uk

Firstly, I sincerely hope both the guide dog owner and guide dog are recovering well.
I too have a guide dog and have experienced pretty much the same experience. With a friend and a small child, I was walking through my local woods when a Staffordshire Pit-bull attacked my dog. Again, he made straight for the throat and was only released when the local 'woodman' kicked the dog off. The low-life who owned this particular dog sudeenly appeared out of nowhere and then proceeded to attack the Woodman. I should make the point that the Woodman managed to kill the guilty animal with a swift kick to the neck.
This episode caused a lot of anxiety for both myself and Finn, my dog.
This piece of particular low-life needs catching.... and a good kicking!

- Elder-Brown, Royal Tunbridge Wells

I have a staffie and rottie and plan on bringing them over from south africa to live here with me. as they are a bit anti-social i would NEVER take them out without muzzles to protect them and those around them. its an owners responsibility to ensure the safety of others when taking their dogs out. this video has sickened me,should the dog be punished?NO! that man is not worthy of having a dog in his life,what type of owner drops a leash in a public place? i cannot imagine how distressed the lab's owner must have been,i hope her dog will be alright.

- Nicole Byrne, london,uk

I was absolutely horrified when I saw the video, the poor dog and his poor owner, it must have been horrifying for them! The mad dog's owner was clearly seen to be trying to stop the attack, though why on earth was the dog off his lead??????? Madness! Hope the poor pooch and his owner are ok x

- Cleo, Manchester

Although that scene has disgusted me it has sadly not surprised me.
I have had involvement with guide dogs for over 20 yrs & this incident will have most likely ruined the dogs training & its working life & severely infringed the victims independence.
However the Political Correct ways of UK being the ways they are.. the pit bull and aggressor will receive the couselling & help.
I am deeply ashamed to admit to be resident of the great UK.
Do i pay my taxes to support the likes of that SCUM..

- Vicki, durham

I live in Ontario Canada. not long ago the provincial government here banned new ownership pit bulls, breeding of pit bulls and made a requirement present pit bulls must have a muzzle when out in the public.

pit bulls were the favorite weapon of choice for the young punks that could not otherwise acquire illegal firearms. they would parade around with a sneer on their face and the pit bull at the ready.

not too many reports of pit bull attacks since the ban went into effect. the fact most pit bulls did not engage in unprovoked attack was not relevant. the relevant fact was and is that when a pit bull does attack it is extremely dangerous and sometimes fatal.

notice how this piece of shaved head crud has no control over his animal. you brits banned handguns why do you let this continue?

- Lab Owner, London Canada

Liz,

I think something is wrong with your level of comprehension. Please explain why I am a problem. I own a dog and he is well behaved because I've trained him to be so.

- Tobin, Andover

September Princess, you seem to know about dogs, so tell us all something: how many cocker spaniels or Labradors have you come across that are vicious?

- Croyboy, Croydon

My heart goes out to that poor lab owner. My dog was attacked by a pit and it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life and I am sighted. Luckily, several people came to help me and my dog survived. Unfortunately, I must disagree with those who believe all aggressive dogs are raised in abusive homes. There are many dogs (not just pits) born "gamey" or with a "high prey drive". This is a fact. With the right person they can live in society with severe restrictions but that is,unforturnately, not always the case. Granted, many of the dogs you hear about in the news are probably from questionable homes. With so many friendly dogs euthanized every year due to lack of homes, should you put so much effort into "rehabilitating" an aggressive dog. Now doesn't that open up a big can-o-worms!

- Susan, California, USA

My heart goes out to that poor lab owner. My dog was attacked by a pit and it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life and I am sighted. Luckily, several people came to help me and my dog survived. Unfortunately, I must disagree with those who believe all aggressive dogs are raised in abusive homes. There are many dogs (not just pits) born "gamey" or with a "high prey drive". This is a fact. With the right person they can live in society with severe restrictions but that is,unforturnately, not always the case. Granted, many of the dogs you hear about in the news are probably from questionable homes. With so many friendly dogs euthanized every year due to lack of homes, should you put so much effort into "rehabilitating" an aggressive dog. Now doesn't that open up a big can-o-worms!

- Susan, California, USA

These dogs are dangerous, I am only talking the pit bulls and the staffordshire bull terriers, the owner should have the decency to turn himself in. He is a coward walking away like that. I had two dogs that were previously attacked by a staffordshire bull terrier, and the owner never gave a damn. When I called the police they never cared either. When I am out walking my dog I will now cross the road to avoid these breeds.

- Annmarie Strachan, dundee

There is some nonsense being spoken here. Like Mike Abbott's "It's all New labours fault" I believe the dangerous dogs act was brought in by a Conservative government because of the spate of dog attacks (mainly staffs and pitbulls)way back in the 90's. The point is that any dog can attack, but usually don't because their owners control them, Doga are pack animals and will obey their pack leader. The truth of the matter is that council estate vermin and the like think fighting dogs are cool. What is needed is a dog licence, one that is not expensive, but requires a licensee to have training (at their own expense). The fical punishment should be if you DON'T have a licence. £5000 or 1 year in the chokey.

- Kerry, Purley

Its a shame for the poor guide dog and owner, and also the dog that attacked the guide dog, but as usual people make a massive deal of it and the media. firstly the dog was dog aggressive and not human aggressive. If the Pitbull was trained and socialised it wouldn't of happened. Also if the government never banned the breed and tried addressing the PROBLEM (People) their would be less problems, all of these non dog people need to stop being dog racist!

- David, Basildon

I believe the owner is the one responsible for such behaviour and is the one who should be punished.

Why was the dog not on a lead?
Why did the owner stop and wait and make the dog sit at the station pathway?
There should be punishments enforced most importantly with the owner. I also think a registering/license policy would be a good idea, put in place such as the chips used when a missing dog is found, and this should be mandatory. If owners/breeders (whoever was decided responsible) didn’t comply they should face large fines.
There are some breeds that do have a bad reputation and of course there maybe the odd animal that is out of the ordinary. If you have a dog such as this, make sure it receives the right training, exercise and it could be as simple as having the animal spayed especially with boys which reduces testosterone levels.

I feel it is exactly the same as children, it is how they are brought up and the owners personality and way of life will be reflected in their pets.

- Emma, Buckinghamshire

Once again an idiotic undisciplined owner and teacher of a dog, how many times have small fluffy dogs had a go at people or other dogs and people just laugh, if a poodle, golden retriever, cavalier or Jack Russell had a go it wouldn't even make the local paper but an Alsation, rottweiller or staffy gets involved and its headline news, 'Dangerous dogs put them all to sleep' lets get real here its down to the OWNERS the OWNERS the OWNERS, we need a national licencing scheme, subsidised neutering from RIP OFF VETS, obligatory micro chipping, tough real sentences for inadequate,over macho retarded owners. Lets make it easy for geuine owners and well controlled dogs and very very hard for idiotic owners and greedy breeders, and the government can lay off genuine, caring pet owners in all this, not tying them up in red tape and taxing them to the hilt for their love, they did it in New South Wales in Australia so why can't this impotent government here do something positive for animals and responsible pet owners and severely punish unresponsible pet owners and NOT THE DOGS, DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR A CHANGE.

- Sarah Ackland-Snow, Sevenoaks England

OMG...that was sickening...that dog would not let go even with his owner punching, dragging him and that other poor day got dragged with him...as sick as it was to watch I'm so glad it wasn't a human being on the other end of that dogs jaws.

- Sarah, london

Same old story, same old scum,these sort of of low-lives
cannot control themselves in a public place let alone a wild untrained animal.
Its time the law was enforced more so these type of
people are unable to keep this, or any other dangerous
dog..!

- Terence, London

As a responsible Rottweiler owner these attacks and the subsequent negative feedback against a whole breed that results sickens me. I whole heartedly agree that there should be a minimum age limit for owning any animal. 1st time owners should also have to prove they are capable of looking after any breed - for the good of the animal and society as a whole. To keep a large dog - such as a rottweiler in a small flat and give it minimal exercise and stimulation is asking for trouble. These are an intelligent breed and require sensible owners - who want to have a good relationship with their pet and cause no harm or distress to others. To use a dog as a status symbol of any kind - especially to look "hard" is aborrent to those of us who love thier dogs wand who would never allow or condone the kind of mayhem this dog was allowed to cause.

- Jane J, Bucks

It is not the dog, only the owner that should be punished for bringing the dog up like this. The dog should have been on a lead in a public place.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are only dangerous dogs when they have been brought up to be vicious and angry. If they are brought up correctly with care and love, like for example I have done with my own Staffie, than you would find that incidents like this would be unheard of. Pure idiots bring up those particular dogs to be aggressive when they are actually wonderful family dogs and it upsets me so much to see them continue to bring dogs up in this manner.

- Rebecca, Gloucester

Some are naturally more aggressive than others. Whether they turn into vicious thugs, or just boisterous characters prone to making a bit too much noise, is mostly down to how they are brought up. A few are mad and/or bad by birth, but unfortunately you can't tell that by looking at them. There's no such thing as a bad breed.

I'm talking about dogs and humans alike. The dog will be like his human owner, because it's the owner that brings up the dog (or fails in that duty).

- Nigel, London

September Princess, Oxon

Don't just take my word for it, look at the case of Courtney Charlesworth. You obviously have a rose tinted view with regards to these animals. I'm sure they are lovely animals, right up till the moment when they snap.

- Dc, London

I think it would be a good idea if EVERY dog had to be registered and licensed by the local police/council. Any person stopped by the police, walking a dog that is not wearing the proper identification tags should be fined and / or the dog can be taken.

- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London

The problem is people like the man who talked of his sweet little staffie being attacked by spaniels! One hears this again and again - 'Any dog can attack. Even a labrador.' But it is rubbish. The fact is, dogs such as staffies etc are used as weapons, and the breed is meant to fight.

I would ban all dogs of that breed, and many others.

- Liz, London, UK

Staffordshire terriers, pit bull terriers, rotweillers, dobermans, (or should I say dobermen?) All have fearsome reputations, but I'm old enough to remember when most 'vicious dog attacks' seemed to be perpetrated by breeds like Alsations, Boxers, Collies and any old mongrel with a bad temperament. I would suggest some system be devised whereby all owners and dogs must be licensed like drivers and cars, i.e. both have to pass some sort of regular test to be allowed in public places.
Failure to comply, or failure to pass should result in the dog equivalent of 'loss of licence' or in more serious cases, -'sentenced to the scrapyard'

- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland

This dog was a PIT BULL NOT A STAFF. If anyone knows anything about dogs they would know that Staffs have a good temperament. It is not the dogs it is the owners. My neice is petrified of dogs, yet she loved my staff. My staff was 15 when she died, and was friends with everyone. I now have 2 other staffs, who are the most friendly dog you can meet, everyone loves them. My sister had 4 staffs at one time, they were all well behaved, and she has one now who is also well behaved. My daughter had a staff which only became bad tempered because of a brain tumour, and unfortunately had to be put down, she now has 2 who again are no bother with other animals or humans. In fact all the abovementioned dogs were rbought up with children and have never once gone for one.

- E Sullivan, London

Every time we have have story like this we get the "pro dog brigade" saying how lovely their dogs are WHAT a load of rubbish many dogs bite and nip people and nothing is said because the person biten is either a relative or friend of the dog owner.Sorry dog owners just remember where dogs come from.

- Mike M, Bedford England

It's your society. You have made it what it is. Only you the people can make changes. The choice is yours.

- Jonvic, SC USA

The dog should have been on a lead as it was clearly prone to attack. I have to agree that these type of dogs should only be owned by people who can handle them, and that should require a license. Strong dogs like that require a serious attention to behaviour which can turn in a second.

Instead, not just in London, you see thousands of young kids with dogs they can hardly control. It happens in The Netherlands too as this strange culture continues to grow for (mainly) younger people to own dogs that instil fear in others. It does make me angry, as i love dogs and hate to see them mishandled.

It seems to me that most people are keen to see some action taken to remove these type of dogs from the streets, why isn't anything been done about it?

- Esther, The Netherlands

Hang on. What about the poor guide dog. Will she be traumatised and unable to work? This is disgusting. That low life scum needs to have his dog taken away and be charged for cruelty to animals i.e. both dogs. Then he should have a fine levied for the veterinary and retraining for the guide dog. The ramifications of his stupid, idiotic inability to control or respect his own dog is being inflicted physically and mentally on the guide dog and her owner.

- Gavin, London

People use these vicious dogs as fashion accessories.
It's time they were taken off the streets.

- Simon, London

"It would be great to see what effect flogging hard labour and hanging would have on these criminal elements the loony left/ liberals are so fond of.
perhaps we should set the pitbulls on them."

Hmmm.It no longer surprises me that comments like that are left for any news item, quite regardless of how utterly, completely and totally irrelevant they are to the story itself. Kedge - you may have a chip on your shoulder, but try and use it more judiciously.

- Richard, London UK

This is another bad example of what happens when dogs/owners are not forced to have licences etc. Having said that different breeds don't have a major part to play, it's the owners and their environment that dictate how a dog behaves. We need licences to be mandetory for ALL dogs and not demonize specific breeds. Anyone in breech of the dog licence should be banned for life with the DEFINITE punishment of jail time if they get another dog.

- Mikey F, London

Under the 1991 Dangerous dogs act,it is illegal to own a pitbull terrier along with a few other designated types of dog. This act was introduced and some say rushed through parliament by the Tories, correctly in my opinion after some particularly horrifying incidents involving the public.What apparently halted the implementataion of this law was the usual sentimental outcry of the British public, leave our loving pets alone, and the usual clever dick arguments of defence lawyers disputing cross bred types in court.This is NOT a political issue just one of commonsense, as in this rare case the government did know what was best for the public.The ensuing apathy of all governments to do anything about it is I'm afraid very much a British disease...pandering to the public for the lesser good ,and one that has lead to a proliferation of ownership and illegal fighting of these beasts.The 1991 law must be acted upon now...its only a matter of time before the next nauseating attack occurs.Its completely absurd that people want to own dogs that were used for baiting bulls and bears in the mediaeval era.

- David, london

As a past dog owner (and as a human being), this has almost reduced me to tears. Shocking and sickening! Of course natural instinct would drive me to kick pitbull if it was my dog being savaged. However, the pitbull owner is definately the party at blame and deserves the kicking first!

Hope he's caught and handed a jail sentence!

- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK

Welcome to Britain...makes Mad Max look like The Sound of Music.Do you think any government cares about what happens to the UK?

- Amoreno, Luxembourg

The other day in the market in france a staffordshire became aggressive with another dog. The owner explained that it wasnt a pitbull, content that his animal had shown aggression and happy to protect him as he was "pure bred" staffordshire.
Pitbull owners have pitbull dogs - whatever the breed.

- Terry, Hennebont France

I have just watched the video and the owner knew his dog was viscious as you can she him trying to grab the dog when he saw the guide dog. To me, it's looks as if he has been trained to fight.
I feel sick after watching this. Yob - take the dog to the vets for a lethal injection and get a job and get off the streets, you are SCUM.

- Lisa, Brighton

Dc and Mrkp, london

I own a Staffordshire cross. He's not vicious, he's not a menace, he is in fact a well behaved and gentle pet.

Contrast him with the trio of highly unpleasant King Charles spaniels who attacked him last Monday. The owner of those dogs had no control over them.

- Tobin, Andover

Those two animals need to be caught and fast.That could easily have been a toddler.Get your finger out plod before the unthinkable happens.

- Tony, Essex

The poor guide dog and it's owner who was helpless while this was going on.
The staffi wants a one way trip to the vets.
I thought pit bulls were banned...

- Lisa, Brighton

Dog licenses for all dogs - with a tariff according to the level of danger should a dog 'turn' nasty, so low levels for spaniel, etc, higher for alsatians, very high for these 'weapon' dogs - at a level of over £2000 for each dog. OAPs would be entitled to a free dog license provided they had a dog within the lowest category.
The license fee should be used to chip all dogs and keep a 'dna' bank.

If a dog is then involved in an incident the owner has to pay a fine as a multiple of the license fee for the dog (depending on the seriousness of the incident - fouling footpaths, not being kept on a lead, biting, etc). Failure to license/chip/pay fines would result in the dogs being confiscated/put down and the owners being banned from keeping dogs.

Also could TFL please ban dogs being allowed on buses (except for guide dogs)... people are getting on the bus and they stand with their aggressive dogs by the exit which is extremely intimidating and only a matter of time before a passenger is attacked.

- Andy, london

DC London - that is a very naiive comment about Staffies. I have volunteered in many rescues and met many wonderful, gentle examples of the breed. You obviously haven't had much experience of them and your knee-jerk reaction is typical and a shame. This dog is described as a 'pitbull cross' whatever that means. I stand by what I say, it's the way the dog was brought up right from the very beginning. Yes, there are some exceptions to the rule, as always, but generally dogs (like people)aren't born bad.

- September Princess, Oxon

"It's not the dog's fault.... dogs aren't born bad, it's the way they are brought up and treated and how well socialised (or not) they are." Sp, Oxon

That is touchy-feely nonsense. What about all those dogs of this type from ordinary families who end up savaging children in a moment of madness? The thing is, like with humans, various circumstances can turn even the most placid dog into monster. But the reason dogs like pitbulls are banned is because they carry certain character traits that make them more likely to react in these circumstances and almost impossible to stop or calm once they do.

Look at the way the man has to kick and punch the dog to try and get it off. I'm sure you imagine that had it been properly trained he would've simply had to give it a command and it would heel, but what if it doesn't? What then? How many ordinary dogs do you see every day, walking down the street disobeying their owners? Tons. But the repercussions of one of these breeds ignoring its owner can, like in this case, be devastating. It's always the most unsuspecting, trusting (dare I say arrogant) owners whose dogs go wild and savage somebody or something.

Pitbulls are banned, and Staffies should be too, because regardless of discipline they are more likely to turn violent due to their nature and are unstoppable when they do. No amount of love or discipline can prevent a dog like this doing serious damage should it get the feeling, so they should be banned.

- Paul, London

This had made me sick to my stomach. The harrowing ordeal that this poor woman and her gentle guide dog have gone through is terrifying. If it happened to a someone that was not visually impaired it would be bad enough but to be visually impaired and unable to get away or protect her guide dog must have been horrific.

Dogs such as this one are conditioned to behave in this fashion by their owners and ideally to be as ultra as agressive as possible. I do feel some compassion for this animal also as the treatment it must encounter at the hands of its idiot of an owner must give it a very sad existance of abuse and bad treatment.

I hope the Police pool all the resources to catch this man and to put the dangerous dog out of it's misery.

- A Skilling, London

It would be great to see what effect flogging hard labour and hanging would have on these criminal elements the loony left/ liberals are so fond of.
perhaps we should set the pitbulls on them.

- Kedge, marlboro wilts uk

That's why they need to both ban breeds known to be violent, as they have in other countries (well done Kit Malthouse for suggesting this) and bring back dog licences. Thugs like this, if unable to produce a licence, would be fined (or their parents would if they are juveniles) and have the dog taken off them. Licences should only be available to over 25s and should be prohibitively expensive so only committed and responsible dog owners would apply. Anyone caught out with a dog and under the age of 25 would have the dog taken off them. Resources also need to be channelled towards providing local councils with facilities for doing this, as they do not exist at present. I think there would be huge support for such a policy and I can't understand why it wasn't introduced years ago. But I fail to see how Mike Abbott's allegation that it's New Labour's fault that these things are happening can be the case - perhaps he's too young to remember all the 'devil dog' scares that took place 15-20 years ago, under the Tories!

- Lindsay, london

Remember back in the old, unenlightened days when we had licences for dogs? Bring them back with compulsory ID chips...for the owners, too, if they're under fifty!

- Croyboy, Croydon

dangerous dogs should require a licence and owner training. really they should be banned. too many people own dangerous dogs and dont know how to handle them, its time something was done about this

- John, UK

- Sp, Oxon

"It's not the dog's fault.... dogs aren't born bad"

What a naive comment, these dogs are bred to be agressive it is part of their genetic make up. It is the reason that you hear of Staffordshire terriers that come from good owners can sometimes out of the blue attack for no reason. The yob owners only make the situation worse.

- Dc, London

As a dogowner of 2 King charles spaniels,
when i see a staffie/pitbull/rottweiler, i go to the other side if possible, or put myself in front of the dogs or pick them up when possible.
Lets never forget these dogs were bred for fighting in
the first place, so the instinct will always be there.
It is a macho thing, i'm afraid.

- Mrkp, london

Sandra asks why station staff did not assist,WHAT station staff Sandra,there is no profit to be made in employing station staff,every one person employed,costs the shareholder's,and lower's profits,good old Capitalism.

- Norman Hyde Smith, South Kensington

Does anyone remember when we had dog licenses? Would it not be worthwhile bringing them back in and forcing owners to register their animals? As part of the process all dogs should be chipped and the chip could then be cross referenced against pet insurance, which should also be obligatory, after all, if you can't afford a pet then why on earth should you have one?

- Bob, Cheam

I'm beginning to think this breed of dog should be made extinct - there is no valid reason to keep the breed going and with the wrong owners in charge they can literally become killers. It's no different to allowing a yob to keep a wolf and bull terriers jaws are far more powerful than the jaws of many other breeds of dogs - once they have bitten down on something it is a real job to make it let go.

- Pollybelle, Harlow, Essex

Pitbull are vicious wild animals and owning them should be banned. People wander around Cricklewood with pit bulls all the time and the streets are crawling with dangerous dogs. People own them because they are in fashion and it makes them feel "hard", and nobody seems prepared to protect the rest of us from these thug pets.

- R, Cricklewood, London

Whats happened to the Dangerous Dogs Act ? Specifically designed to protect society from these fighting breeds this is another law that is simply not enforced by the weak police and disinterested government.There is no place at all for these dogs that were in any case originally bred for barbaric sports .You can see these vile creatures and their equally vile owners on any street and in any park these days .Nothing will happen until the next child or person is badly injured and all we'll get is a soon to be forgotten knee jerk reaction from the authorities, who will then quickly reassume their default supine position.

- David, london

Something in the way the terrier is wagging it's tail while being punched tells me that this is a way of life for it. However some people would not have even bothered to try to drag the dog off, so credit must be given for that.
It does beg the question, what was he doing in the station - does he stop to roll a cigarette when the dog is lying on the floor? Strange.

- Claire, Stone,UK

Lala, alot of us do, but sadly because of the authoritarian way this country is run, the liberal lefties and the fact that the police aren't allowed to use their judgement too often, means that sadly, it does come down to politics.

You can't get tough laws for scum like this, unless the government make the laws tough. You can't imprision someone unless you have strong judges to impose said laws.

I've been saying for years that sadly, it was only a matter of time before one of these horrid dogs went after a Guide Dog.

- S-M Hearmon, London, UK

Pitbulls in particular are paraded as weapons and should be prohibited. This scumbag should be prosecuted for carrying a dangerous weapon.

- Frank, Home Counties, England.

This problem of the tracksuited masses and their ugly animals could be solved overnight by banning people in council flats from owning such dogs. I mean what's wrong with owning a westie, or is it just they're not macho enough?

- Ben, Elephant&castle

Maybe its time all dogs wear a mussel in public places.

- Shallotman, Basildon

How can yois nothing to do with who the PM is at all! I u say such things about this bloke? he owns a dog that attacked another dog! it know a few people who own dogs like this and they absolutely love their dogs and take good care of them!

He was no encouraging his dog to attack and was doing his best to stop it!

- Serox, London

It's not the dog's fault.... dogs aren't born bad, it's the way they are brought up and treated and how well socialised (or not) they are. As Helen from Norwich points out, the poor thing is probably shouted at and kicked every day of its life. Staffordshire Bull Terriers & Rotties are much maligned (DC of London) but how many do you know? Thousands of them are gentle pets but thousands also remain incarcerated in rescues or put down because they have a bad name. I repeat, dogs aren't born bad - it's people like this chap who are to blame!

- Sp, Oxon

Here in Spain they passed laws to get dangerous dogs off the street and unlike in the UK the police enforced it.

- Gwilym Rhys-Jones, marbella spain

This pitbull-cross should be put to sleep. Terrible thing to happen to the lovely guide dog and its owner, I hope both recover from their horrendous and totally unnecessary, ordeal.

- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK

I bet that terrier gets kicked and shouted at every day of its frightend, sad little life. And people are right that this dog and its hateful owner are just one of the terrifying afflictions imposed on this place by new labour, either deliberately or inadvertently, who knows? Sadly I can't feel that any of the other main parties will do better. I hope the labrador and its owner are recovering well.

- Helen, norwich

haha you Brits are such a joke, everything is dowen to politics!? Don't you have your own brain?

- Lala, Switzerland

The pitbull should be shot, the owner should be banned from ever owning a dog again. Alsoa month or two in prison would be a good thing and would send out an important message to those who choose to have a dog like that to look "hard".

He bought it to look tough and so the sentence should be tough.

The sooner all terriers are registered the better!

- Jonathan, gloucestershire

Absolutely disgusting.

1. Why was the dog not muzzled;
2. Why was this man loitering in a corridor at Cricklewood station for a good five minutes, leaving his dog lying there untethered; and
3. Why did station staff not assist the poor lady and her animal

Whilst the man was wrong not to have the dog muzzled I will give him a little amount of respect for trying to get his brute of an animal off the poor labrador.

They are still importing various cross-breeds of fighting dogs into this country which then fall outside the remit of "pit bull" etc., the government needs to clamp down even further on it. It's not necessarily the dogs' fault, it's in their nature to attack.

- Sandra, London

Sadly I think the dog is more intelligent than the owner.

- Dl, London

I would have thought that by kicking it, you'd only enrage it further. Too many dumb dog owners in this country. That man should be tracked down and jailed and his dog should be put down.

- N, London, UK

These dogs and their owners are a serious danger and a menace, I would also class Staffordshire Bull Terriors and Rottweiler's as dangerous dogs. Dog owners should be required to have a license for their animals. Anyone under the age of 25 should not be allowed to own a dog, anyone who cannot control their dog should be banned for life from owning one.

It makes me angry when I see spotty yobs walking round my local park with these animals off their leads.

- Dc, London

This is the sort of yob that New Labour has allowed the capital - and rest of the UK - to become contiminated with. Can we all hope that a Conservative government will put law and order back on the agenda, at the top? Based on Boris's frightening lack of interest in law and order, I'm not holding my breath.

- Mike Abbott, London


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