Almost a year ago there was a terrible tragedy a few roads away from us where a "mastiff typr" dog mauled a woman to death. At the time the owner was arrested for manslaughter. This is an extract from  a report in our local paper, I have removed names etc:

OWNER ADMITS TO KEEPING KILLER DOG IN CRAMPED CAGE

A dog owner whose pet mauled his lodger to death has admitted keeping the animal in a cramped cage before the attack, he pleaded guilty to locking an 8st Neapolitan Mastiff in a small cage before it mauled 52 yr old ************ to death. He admitted keeping the pet in a 106CM cage, he also pleaded guilty to keeping a fighting dog, Ruby, the pitbull terrier pup who was seized from the house. He will appear at Croydon Magistrates for sentencing on January 3rd.
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The picture of him that accompanies the report is exactly the type of individual that you would expect, I know a book should not be judged by it's cover but this depicts a person who used two poor animals as status symbols.

When he is sentenced I will post the "slap on the wrist" that I expect him to get. At the time there was also other items seized ie plants!!!!!

Just a shame he can't be locked away in a 106cm cage.

Lacy you are being too kind!!!

I was looking at his picture on the net of him entering court, it still does come to question to me, if I was attending court i'd be making sure I was smartly dressed, preferably in a suit!!! He however along with many others attend looking like a bag of **** :-(

Well, sorry to say that I think his sort should be used for experimenting with new drugs, instead of using animals for experiments.

Ahhh that was the one that was originally reported as a "Belgian Mastiff" but turned out to be a Neo or cross. Makes you speculate on tabloid journalists geographical knowledge.

Well if I was a dog that size kept in a  crate for long periods, I'd come out of it ready to kill someone as well.

SJ I think the way people dress for things gives a pretty good insite into how they think and what and  where there priorites are, some where below his boots I should think

>The picture of him that accompanies the report is exactly the type of individual that you would expect

I had to Google this, I am not sure why you have blanked out the poor victims name,
http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Dog-kept-cramped-cage-Wallington-fatal-attack/story-14092256-detail/story.html
He looks like a perfectly ordinary man to me.  Clearly he is not, keeping this type of dog in this type of conditions but I am not sure I would draw that conclusion if I saw him in the street.  OK it is not a suit but how many people own one of those these days.  It looks a perfectly tidy leather jacket. My husband owns something similar :)

I still can't fathom how anyone would consider it acceptable to put a dog of that weight, height and length in a 42" crate.... much less how they actually managed to squeeze the poor animal into a cage that size :(

I keep looking at the 42" crate in this room, and thinking "How???"

I kept waking up last night thinking about this sad man made situation :(
Stooge, I have no problem re people wearing leather jackets but in our local news there have been other pictures of this person and it is more his demeanour than his clothing that made me feel that he used these poor dogs as status symbols.  

> I keep looking at the 42" crate in this room, and thinking "How???"

Likewise, had one up recently of that size when Lucas was poorly & I can't get my head around a dog of that size & weight living in it full time! I doubt if it had room to turn, even poor old Guy the gorilla had more space.

Clothes maketh the man!!!

Like it or not people judge by looks, first impressions take seconds to make and are usually bang on. How you dress is a reflection of your opinions and attitudes to life. That's why so many people like aman in uniform..he looks well put together and able to provide. It also expresses your respect towards your surroundings and the other people in them. If he can afford to buy a large dog he can afford a suit. £20 from asda!! It's a reflection of his lack of respect for anything.

> Like it or not people judge by looks

I'm still not sure what is unacceptable about this mans looks.

I would ask the same question from the picture.

>If he can afford to buy a large dog he can afford a suit. £20 from asda!!

I'm not sure that an Asda suit would be any better - have you seen how badly cut they are, and what rubbish material? They look cheap even at a distance. No, I don't think that would look any better than what he's wearing in the picture; you wouldn't notice him in the street in those clothes.

As I originally was the one to comment on his looks and post the updated newspaper article ( which I now wish I hadn't bothered with!) I wish to repeat that there were other photos and a local news bulletin from which one could gain the impression that this person is not your average dog loving  owner. I spent 22 years in an occupation where it was important not to judge on first impressions but to dig deeper for the facts.

What seems to have been forgotten is the FACT that he kept a poor dog in a totally unsuitable environment and conditions and also had a pitbull terrier that was used in the barbaric act of dog fighting. A total tragedy occured in which an innocent party was killed. Once again it is not the breed of dog that should be blamed but the inhumanity of mankind towards animals.

>I spent 22 years in an occupation where it was important not to judge on first impressions but to dig deeper for the facts.

Absolutely; we shouldn't judge dogs by their appearance any more than we judge humans by their appearance.