Monday September 16, 2002

Savage attacks by vicious dogs

Sep 16 2002
By Jane Yelland, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

VICIOUS dogs are terrorising children and savaging pets at Crosland Moor, say residents.

A poodle was killed, a child bitten and a man savaged as he tried to prevent his own dog being attacked.

The dogs, believed to be Staffordshire bull terrier types, are accompanied by one or sometimes two men, in their 20s, who are said to just stand and watch as the dogs attack.

One of the dogs has been described as a brindle, brown and white, while the second is white with black marks.

Terrified residents of the Manchester Road area are afraid to walk their dogs and let their children play on the moor, above Milnsbridge and in the nearby Pym Royd recreation ground.

"Everybody is really worried about saying anything," said a woman, who did not want to be named.

"Everyone is too scared to walk their dogs on the moor or let their children play out there."

The random attacks have been taking place for six weeks.

None of the victims knows the dogs or their owner.

"We just want someone who knows these men to report them to the police," said the woman.

Mr John Stead, senior animal welfare officer for Kirklees Council, said he needed people to report incidents to him before anything could happen.

"At the moment, all we have on record is a dog-on-dog fight that was reported two weeks after the event," he said.

"There is nothing that the law can do about dogs, off the lead, fighting. "If a dog was on a lead and it was attacked by another, that would be unlawful.

" Mr Stead urged people whose dogs had been injured by another while on a lead, to contact the dog warden swiftly on 01484 226883, with a description of the dogs and their owners.

Insp Mark Broadhead, of Huddersfield police, said he had no record of any incidents being reported, other than a dog biting someone in Blackmoorfoot Road.

"People should report incidents to the police if they have been attacked by a dog," he added.

"It would be up to magistrates to take action against the dog or the owner," said Insp Broadhead.

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