Best of luck, just hope it doesn't colour your and your families view of dogs and most of their owners.

But Lindsay would you really say it's normal for a bitch with puppies as old as 5 weeks to protect them like this? I think if it had been newborn pups things would have been less one sided. As for cows and horses etc, I think the difference is they're not pets living in our houses and walked on our streets.

I think that if people are invited to see puppies, then generally speaking, (in spite of what I've written earlier in the thread) most peeps just go and expect the bitch to be fine. I believe the fault lies with the owner; if a dog is genuinely likely to harm in this way again, then yes it should be pts.

I think the cows and horses thing was interesting, purely because although they are not in our homes, our expectations are similar - ie that we can walk in their homes (fields) and not expect to be harmed normally. Horses and cows can be part of the family... horses can kick and maim but are not usually expected to be put to sleep as far as I know. They can do enough damage still to kill.

I do have every sympathy with Iain :)

>purely because although they are not in our homes, our expectations are similar - ie that we can walk in their homes (fields) and not expect to be harmed normally.

Are they? Not many people have commented so far but those that have, have expressed reservations about being in their midst and an understanding, even expectancy, that it can be dangerous.

I guess it does depend on the person but many have no idea about danger from cows (or horses) :) although some do. Horses can be dangerous in some circumstances, but can be pets. Anyway I think this thread has run it's course now ... :)

Horses and cows scare the pants off me.  So many public footpaths run through paddocks and some horses obviously don't like dogs as they start approaching in a way that doesn't look too friendly to me.  My dog is always on a lead but she starts to get jittery and to be honest I get quite scared too.  I walked into a field where there hadn't been horses before and there about 10 or more and some were really big.  A girl was walking a horse out and I asked if it would still be ok to walk through as the footpath ran diagonally across the field.  She said I wouldn't if I were you, walk the perimeter.  I give horses a wide berth always.

I hate cows and I wouldn't walk through a field of horses - apart from my own and sometimes they scare the pants off me too :D

Horses and cows are far more dangerous than dogs IMO - horses retain a lot of the fight/flight instinct and are still 90% wild animals IMO - and should be treated as such ;)

Iain, as someone who occassionally breeds dogs,has children and a grandson, and lives in Angus, I do hope that you can get an ending for this. Good luck to you and your family. {{{hugs}}}

Hi Iain, sorry to read about your daugter, you said " plus the fact that i have known the particular JP since i was a wee boy and he never even noticed my name in the files which leads me to believe he never even read the file and was happy with a very brief summary"
I am friendly with a JP and I know he does not try any cases where he personally knows any one involved I know hes said hes had to abandon several cases when he has known people involved, i dont know if its a rule and they cant do it or just something he does from personal preference but it may be worth looking into.

Good bye Iain,
I wish you and your family every success in finding peace of mind...and moving on from this awful period of time.
Very best wishes for the future to you all.
xxx

Hello just wanted to say that my Partner is working in aberdean at the moment and has read the story of your little girl in the paper.

Its time to move on

Well Done! :)