Dogsey

A judge ruled that a dangerous dpg must be destroyed – despite its owner claiming it had never attacked anybody.

The pit bull-type dog, called Blade, has been owned by Jason Cooper, of Old Basford since it was bought as a puppy six years ago.

But in July it was seized by police under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 – and yesterday a court ruled that it must be put to sleep.

Mr Cooper, of Bailey Street, has three weeks to appeal against the decision but says he does not have the £1,000 needed to fund the case.

The 40-year-old, who has been unemployed since suffering a stroke three years ago, described the dog as "soft, gentle and playful".

But Nottingham Magistrates' Court was told that in the months Blade had been kept in kennels following its seizure, it had bitten manager Kay Abrahall three times.

After hearing that Mr Cooper had young nieces who visited, deputy district judge David Stott ruled that the dog (pictured) was a danger to the public and ordered its destruction.

He said: "There are no reports of trouble from Blade in the past but he has become aggressive and is getting worse. He is extremely unpredictable, certainly in jumping and biting. He is a dangerous handful."

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, it is against the law to own four dog breeds – pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, dogo Argentinos and fila Brazilieros.

Dogs that match the characteristics of these banned breeds can be seized by dog wardens or police even if they are not acting dangerously.

It is then up to a court to decide if they should be destroyed or returned to the owner with conditions.

Mr Cooper said he had not realised the dog was a pit bull type when it was given to him as a gift by his mother-in-law. The family thought it was a Staffie cross-breed.

He said: "I was trying to explain to the judge that if I got him back and had a week with him, I would have taken him training.

"He was my baby."

The former labourer also said that being kept in kennels for months – rather than at the family home – was the reason for Blade's altered behaviour.

But Nottinghamshire Police dog legislation officer PC Steve Feary told the court that since Mr Cooper's stroke, Blade had not been taken for a walk and had become "extremely obese", with overgrown claws.

The judge said it was "ironic" that while in the kennels and having a proper diet, the dog had become leaner and stronger.

Mrs Abrahall, who cared for Blade at the kennels, told the court that the animal had bitten her on the bottom and broken the skin in August, lunged at her and broken skin again in September and cornered her and ripped her clothing, drawing blood, in October.

She said: "Blade is extremely unpredictable. There are no triggers to what he does.

"If he did that to a member of the public or a child, it could be very dangerous. It could have extremely dire consequences.

"I wouldn't want to find he had killed a child, because that would be on my conscience."

After the hearing, Mr Cooper's brother-in-law Lee Patterson, 33, said: "They will put a good dog down because of its breed."

Neither the RSPCA nor Nottingham Police would comment on the case.
Mr Cooper was also ordered to pay £1,500 costs.