Hi All,

I thought I should pass to everyone in the South London area a warning I received from a park warden while on a walk. Apparently, there is a group of hooligans hanging around Clapham Common, Streatham Common, Tooting Bec, the Rookery etc, who have trained a number of Staffies / Staffie crosses to attack other dogs, and they take particular pleasure from attacking puppies.

Afterwards, I mentioned it at a dog training class and two of the people their had had their puppies attacked. One of them looks seems to be okay but the other one (a tiny cocker poodle cross) is still traumatised and won't allow other puppies or dogs near her.

It's a horrible thing because this will make everyone in the area fearful of any staffies that they see, even the vast majority who are adorable little tykes, but until these hooligans are caught it's better safe than sorry. Of course, the police cannot do very much, as victims want to get their dogs away as quickly as possible and nobody wants to hang around and wait for the police.

So anyone walking their dogs in these parks, or anywhere else in the area, please please please do be careful, and report anything that you do see so the authorities can give these idiots the punishment they deserve.

Such lovely people in the world..
Do you have an 'official' report regarding this from any authorities?  i.e. an email from the dog warden or something?
If so please let me know and I will cross post with your permission to some other forums.
Thanks

Terrible!! Some people need to get a life, they are sick and i hope the dogs turn on them, horrible to say, but maybe it would knock some sense into the filth!

Do you have an 'official' report regarding this from any authorities?  i.e. an email from the dog warden or something?

Unfortunately not, as I was just warned by one of the park wardens when he saw me walking our 13 week old boy. The area has a really diverse population, with mostly very respectable dog lovers, and then a large number of teenagers, usually in hoodies with lots of jewellry, with staffie crosses in tow. The warden probably doesn't want to get too involved - as a sixty-odd year old guy paid to pick up litter and tell the odd person to clean up after their dog I can't imagine he gets paid enough to risk a confrontation with half a dozen thugs with dogs.

There have always been some problems, and a few years ago I remember one guy thinking it was hilarious to set his staffie on our first wheaten, though at least his dog was on a lead, so she got startled but nothing worse. This time it seems that little bit more premeditated and malicious. It sounds like it's actually become a game for them - because it takes a real man to send a dog after some poor little puppy, right?

> because it takes a real man to send a dog after some poor little puppy, right?

Oh, yes, only the bravest most manly of men would do a thing like that

There are some sick, perverted, low-life scum bags in this world :(

I really think this is something worth talking to the police about with the angle that dog-fighting dogs are often trained/set on puppies/'soft' dogs to start them off (so they don't get put off of fighting by having an adult dog defend itself agressively).

How awful for evrybody in the area :( Maybe it's also a good idea to team up with neighbours, the puppies may not seem such easy targets with lots of owners together?

> How awful for evrybody in the area :-( Maybe it's also a good idea to team up with neighbours, the puppies may not seem such easy targets with lots of owners together? <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" height=10 alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20>

Good idea!! Might be worth giving that a shot, these thugs need stopping and if i got the chance i sure would give it a go, but i suppose my yorkie wouldnt be much of a match!! Bet they wouldnt dream of setting it on something big like a GSD or a dobie or something a little tougher than a puppy! Pure scum!

yep real toughies.. horrible people.  Not fit to mix with animals let alone society!
If you're happy for me to, I'll cross post your info to a bull breeds forum I'm a member of?

> I really think this is something worth talking to the police about with the angle that dog-fighting dogs are often trained/set on puppies/'soft' dogs to start them off (so they don't get put off of fighting by having an adult dog defend itself agressively).

Crikey, I hadn't even thought of that. I intend to call the police to ask if they have had any luck, and I will certainly mention that.

> How awful for evrybody in the area :-( Maybe it's also a good idea to team up with neighbours, the puppies may not seem such easy targets with lots of owners together?

It's a good idea, as although the puppies will be a target, a group of owners should be more intimidating. These oiks are typically cowards who would never start any trouble unless they knew they could win. Unfortunately, I think most people will take the opposite approach of just staying away to protect their own puppy. It doesn't solve the problem, but it does make it somebody else's.

> If you're happy for me to, I'll cross post your info to a bull breeds forum I'm a member of?

I'm absolutely happy for everyone to cross post, as I think it's really important to warn as many people as possible.

I don't want to sound like I'm having a go at staffies, as I love the breed and it is a shame that yet again a small number of scum have picked on this breed as having the "right image", but I wanted to let people know what was happening as it wouldn't take much for a puppy or small dog to be seriously hurt or killed.

> I don't want to sound like I'm having a go at staffies, as I love the breed and it is a shame that yet again a small number of scum have picked on this breed as having the "right image", but I wanted to let people know what was happening as it wouldn't take much for a puppy or small dog to be seriously hurt or killed.

Dont worry about that, we know your not!!

I understand what you mean completely, and its this minority of people that do drive the staffie name into the ground!! If they are bred well and brought up correctly then there is no reason for these dogs to behave in this mannor!! Its the owners fault and they know that only too well otherwise they wouldnt be doing it!

Am I OK to cross post too?

Everyone is. Please do.

Have cross posted. :-)

>> I don't want to sound like I'm having a go at staffies, as I love the breed and it is a shame that yet again a small number of scum have picked on this breed as having the "right image", but I wanted to let people know what was happening as it wouldn't take much for a puppy or small dog to be seriously hurt or killed.

No Mark, doesn't sound like you are at all.
It is people like the ones you have mentioned that give my breed a bad name, so the more these idiots are outed, the better!!
Have cross posted too.

It makes me feel sick to even think that there are people capable of using their dogs like a weapon.
I also feel sorry for the innocent owners (especially the more vulnerable like elderly people, or young ones out on their own) who are just having an enjoyable stroll with their pets.

What is this country coming to?! :-(

hi what an evil world we live in,unbeilevable,i wonder if someone could take any pics of these scum bags and show them to the police so the police can have an idea of who and who may not be doing this chances are they are probably already known to the police. maybe all the locals should insist on having cc.tv cameras installed. as some one has already said young children with there little puppies out for a stroll mums with pushchairs and prams the elderely guide dogs etc, these people are brainless  sickos, they should be forced to do national service  or something like it when caught to see what real men do for there countrys.

If anyone deliberatly set their dog on mine I would leave the park, leave my dog somewhere safe, go back and knock seven shades out of them
How can you train a breed who is already on the brink of being a dangerous dog to do something so horrific I would tell people walk their dogs in packs to be safer but only if they have to walk round there, poor dogs will be the ones which suffer not the idiotic stupid lads.

there legally responsible for there dogs, so they should be arrested and made to pay any compensation and the £100"s of pounds vets bills that could be incured, seeing as this is dilibrate, maybe if they had to pay financially and otherways they may think twice about it next time.

Cross Posted as well.
This is shocking, i'd hope that the Dog Warden has made the local Police and RSPCA aware as well. They should and could be working together to combat this problem.
I wonder how many people have reported this.

Shocking, absolutely shocking.

My friends have some lovely Staffy's and these yobs, scum whatever you want to call them are not helping the breed at all.

That's so awful. :-( I feel sorry for the dogs that are taught to behave that way. All the Staffie's I've known have been gorgeous, friendly and gentle.  I wish the RSPCA and Police would take more action in dog attack cases like this.

If they are going to do something joint agency it does take a lot of planning and they would need to have a fair idea of who the culprits are in the first instance.
Its not something that they can jump into without actual planning. It would be best for them to catch them doing it.
Who knows behind the scenes while we are discussing this problem they may be putting something into place if this really as much of a problem as the dog warden has indicated it is.

I know I shall be unpopular for saying this, but these people could be prosecuted under the DDA. This is the sort of thing that gets innocent dogs a bad name and then these thugs will expect action groups like the DDA Watch to help them out to get their dogs back. Helping people whose dogs have been taken when not having done anything is one thing, but when dogs are encouraged to attack thats another.

Suppose these idiots set their dogs onto a child in a park by mistake? Having let their dogs off to chase and attack another dog they probably have little or no control, so the dogs could just as easily attack a small child. We all know that if that happened then the national media would scream for the blood of all dogs!

If this is happening, the police should be patrolling the area and not only dog walkers should be warned of these people but also parents of young children.

I feel sorry for these poor dogs, but then where did they get them from? A breeder? A puppy farm? A backyard breeder? Are these stolen dogs? Did they buy them from a pet superstore? How do idiots like this get hold of these dogs in the first place? Bet none of these dogs has a KC registration between them... and if one does then who sold it to them?

Perhaps the KC might be able to solve some of it if they get the statuatory powers they have requested from the government?

I agree with you Polly. But as i have said before they need to find out who these youths are before they can do anything and also catching them in the act they can arrest and then seize the dogs. Who knows where these dogs actually live, maybe not even with these youths who walk them. Who is training them to be this way, these youths or is there an underground operation which is much bigger and we are only witnessing the surface of it all.

Its something which you can't just got blundering in with. Undercover officers would be of some use if they are not already known by the youths who are doing this.

Isnt it about time the police clamped down on this?
I doubt it would ever happen but id love to see police go undercover and get to the bottom of this before the dangerous dog situation and scum that own them get any worse.

Personally, I think that undercover police would be the best way forward, though I guess with the police force under pressure, they probably can't spare the manpower. Getting an undercover office to spend a week walking around parks with a puppy probably wouldn't look like a great use of taxpayer's money if the tabloids got wind.

Without that though, they are relying on individuals to put themselves and their dogs, and possibly their homes and families if their identities were discovered, at risk in trying to bring the "yoofs" to justice. Most people will just take the easy option of walking their dog somewhere else. Can't really blame them.