It's more likely that they've read the same news reports as Nick and think they are doing something tough.

Serious dog fighters do not train in public places.

One death is too many but lets keep a perspective. Lawnmowers and balloons cause more deaths than dogs.

They were also reporting that Lassie was a Border Collie, so you can't place reliance on anything they say about it!

Snorri

So she could not get insurance. This means bruce was not put on the exemption registrar. As i said to date no dog has been put on the registrar. It has nothing to do with NI Administration. What can the adminsatration in NI do about the insurance, not a thing, goverment cant force an insurance company to insure someone. It the choice of the comapny. With regard to that,I have spoken to saberfare who run the exemption registra for the police in England. I asked them would they cover a dog in NI if put on the exemption registra. They contacted the underwriters of the policy who said under no circumstance would they insure a dog put on the registra from NI even if the courts allowed it.

The lady i spoke to was fully aware of the situation about bruce as it was her who told me about it.

In addition to this i have contacted every insurance company i could think of about insurance, they all said no.No matter what the courts say.

Its the insurance company who said no, not the administration. I believe the purposed changes to NI Dog Control would allow the councils to put them on a registra which would be a good thing. The problem will again be the insurance which can’t be obtained. Catch 22 situations.

As for boasting about Incompetent administration, i don’t thinks so, i believe that most people in government are useless. The exemption has always been in place, its the stupid defence lawyers who cant read law that could not work it out not the councils, its not the job of councils to put the case forward for the exemption registra, that’s the job of the defence lawyers.

It sound that you think i have something against pit bulls, well to be honest, some years ago i thought these dogs should all be destroyed but the more i have looked into them the more i have changed my mind, i will admit that was ignorance on my behalf. They way i tell people about these dogs that they want destroyed is. Hitler condemned Jews to death because of how they looked. (and other things) Government are doing the same to these dogs, granted when they go off on one they do mega damage, but statistically apparently Golden Retrieves are the dogs involved in the highest amount of attack on people.

So whats next on the excemption registra Golden Retrivers? Would not suprise me with our Government

Oh for crying out loud, Stumpy.

One minute you're saying that no pits are on an exemption register in NI because policy is so robust the next you are saying that it's all down to the insurance companies and government policy has no hand in it.

So which is it? Because, at the moment, your story is flapping in the wind.


There is only one insurance company that deals with exempted dogs so you've wasted your time if you've been approaching others (BTW the Index is administered by DEFRA, not the police) and cover is not presently available because they, like pretty much everyone else, shared the belief that exemption was not an option under NI law. You think it's just defence lawyers who thought that, did you?

Here's Ballymena's dog warden, Nigel Devine...

"In England, if the dog is not a danger to the public, a magistrate can allow the owner to keep it, but that doesn't apply in Northern Ireland,"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6219379.stm

Is that enough? Perhaps not, after all, LA officers might just make mistakes. How about a government minister? Well, here's the DARD Minister misleading the Assembly...

my emphasis

http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/qanda/2...008/080926.htm

Either Gildernew didn't realise that the mismash of dog laws did allow for exemption or she concealed the fact. Naturally insurance companies will not offer cover for an activity that they believe is illegal. They wont cover any 'type' dog anywhere in the UK unless it is on the Index and NI has never set up an index. And the existence of an exemption process is still not detailed on the department's website. Why is that? Because there is no exemption process despite there being provision in law!
http://www.dardni.gov.uk/index/faq/d...-questions.htm

The NI courts/administration need to liase with Petplan to set up a comparable insurance scheme as already exists in the rest of the UK. The fact that they haven't done so is nothing to do with defence lawyers and your claim that insurers, who are happy to insure exempted dogs elsewhere in the UK, would (for reasons not specified) refuse to do so for NI is just fanciful.

As for Bruce - if he hasn't been exempted then what is his status? The court decided that he is 'type' way back in 2008 but he's not dead yet, is he?

What i was saying is the Councils in NI have a robust enforcement against these dogs. Right or wrong, thats not for me to say, each to their own.

I have read the leglisation before all this issue about the excemption came out and strongly beleived it was there to be used. Others including some of my freinds said i was wrong, but i kept saying its there.

Because the department officers cant get it right, thats not my fault. Is it the fault of councils, i dont know, if they ask the question and are told it excemtion is closed, thats what they go by. Surpose at the end of the day its DARD that mislead (dont know if on purpose) the councils who in turn only stated what they were told.

I accept what you are saying that a lot of people believed it did not exist including Councils. Hopefully it will get sorted out once and for all. As for Bruce i was told that they lost the court of appeal and he was ordered to be put to sleep. I then heard they are taking a judicial review of the legalisation which has been granted. Why not let the dog go to the south of Ireland as the owner first suggested. This would have saved a lot of time and money. Also less stress for bruce.

It was DEFRA who told me Saberfare operate the excemption registra and gave me the number. They (Saberfare) only asked the question to the underwritters (pet plan) will you cover NI if the courts allow it on the excemtion registra, they said no, surely they would not expect the courts to break the law and put a dog on it if they were not allowed.

I know pet plan are the insurance company and Saberfare said it costs about £45 per year.Its not alot of money. Hopefully someone from DARD or the minsiters department will contact them to get it sortyed out and eventually get bruce back home.

I am impressed with how quick you got the info, i did not realise that the minister did not know the execemption was still available. She should give her advisors a boot up the backside. Any chance of you giving up your job and going to work for her.

Forgive me for being stupid, but what is BTW

If Gildernew has picked the wrong advisors then she's still made an error of judgement. She's had months to come clean and get this sorted (but that would leave egg on her face and I guess she'd rather a few dogs died than that should occur).

Someone needs a boot, that's for sure. That Bruce still languishes in custody is a scandal. The more so as Shannon has given permission for him to go to the South.

So we're waiting on a judicial review, you say? I thought that was what we just had in September. What was that then?

Petplan would fall into line if the position was not so muddled and obscure. If they didn't then the market would step up and another insurer would come forward if DARD would clarify and proactively seek co-operation.

BTW = By the way

that means nothing, you havent taken the country size, or population, into consideration at all...

johnderondon

Could not agree more. As for the case in September, that was the court of appeal where they were granted the exemption if they could meet the conditions but as they could not due to insurance problems the original verdict at the magistrate court was affirmed. i.e. destruction of bruce.

The next avenue was to make an application for a judicial review. Luckily this was granted and is to take place in the near future. What i can’t understand is why cant bruce be left at home until this is all sorted out. I am sure the owners would abide by any conditions prior to the next hearing.

In England the police who are putting someone through the court system to go on the exemption registar let the dog stay at home and only take into there care on the morning of the case.

Lets hope it is sorted soon for the sake of bruce and his owners. I am sure its costing the legal aid system a mint

picture of Uno the dog that attacked John Paul Massey and the Uncle/owner



UNO


UNCLE/OWNER

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...l-deadly.html#

Population 2008

N.I:1,759,000 = 1 stray for every 222 humans
England:60,943,912=1 stray for every 908 humans
Eire:4,000,000=1 stray for every 503 humans
Scotland:5,168,500=1 stray for every 683 humans
Population 2007
Wales:2,980,000= 1 stray for every 309 humans

Weestumpy:

As a mathematician there are lies damn lies & statistics !

Now what was it you wrote again ????

Looks to me like you are just a wee bit off in your interpretation of the statistics.

England has the lowest ratio of strays to population & N.I.& Eire have the highest & third highest.

Now does that mean licences have worked ??????

Er Nope !