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Personally I would have thought the Seal should have been captured and taken to a Seal sanctuary, before preparing the seal for release in the wild.
Big cities are not really the best places for Seals, although why anyone would be stupid enough to let a dog run wild in public in London, is also a question that has to be asked.
The police now want to speak to the dogs owner, as it is illegal to have an out of control dog in public in the UK and the story will generate a lot of public anger.
An article I saw said she took her dog off the leash then it ran down the beach. Most likely she thought she had her dog under control until her dog sighted something and stopped listening.
As for the people who are saying to put the dog down, I dont agree with that. The dog didnt attack a person, it followed its instincts and went after an animal. This is wholly the owners fault and if the owner broke the law they should have to answer for that. I would think damages to the wildlife rescue that cared for the animal should be sufficient
i just would like it to be clear in the article because i dont like to jump to wrong conclusions or accept others conclusions without confirmation.
im also not sure what an appropriate penalty would be. i would consider myself some form of animal lover but at the end of the day i am eating animals every day so i cant pretend that killing a wild animal is something a person should be harshly penalized for. if they would be harshly penalized, then i think that should be very clear in the law.
i agree that its the owners fault, not the dogs fault. as responsible animal owners, we know we are responsible for our dogs actions and must act accordingly. allowing a dog in public off leash is tricky business. my dog was once attacked by a rottweiler (that im sure was always friendly) because the woman didnt seem to consider what would happen if the dog it encountered wasnt friendly. it walked over to my mom and my dog (australian shepherd) and my dog attacked and it attacked back (i didnt see it, not sure if my dog went to bite or just barked/growled very aggressively). that dog probably would have been great with people and friendly dogs, but you cant count on other dog's being friendly.
i just would like it to be clear in the article because i dont like to jump to wrong conclusions or accept others conclusions without confirmation.
im also not sure what an appropriate penalty would be. i would consider myself some form of animal lover but at the end of the day i am eating animals every day so i cant pretend that killing a wild animal is something a person should be harshly penalized for. if they would be harshly penalized, then i think that should be very clear in the law.
i agree that its the owners fault, not the dogs fault. as responsible animal owners, we know we are responsible for our dogs actions and must act accordingly. allowing a dog in public off leash is tricky business. my dog was once attacked by a rottweiler (that im sure was always friendly) because the woman didnt seem to consider what would happen if the dog it encountered wasnt friendly. it walked over to my mom and my dog (australian shepherd) and my dog attacked and it attacked back (i didnt see it, not sure if my dog went to bite or just barked/growled very aggressively). that dog probably would have been great with people and friendly dogs, but you cant count on other dog's being friendly.
IMO, the penalty would be what the penalty would be for not having your dog leashed in a public area. I do think additional penalties (fines, etc.) could be added for any damages caused by your unleashed pet. If physical damage/death to a human the penalty should be what it would be if done by a human. Thats just my personal opinion.
As far as damaging wildlife I agree we eat animals, we hunt animals, we euthanize animals. Seems we would also have to punish people for hunting, for killing nuisance animals, hitting them with our cars. And do we give a pass for ugly, scary or dangerous wildlife. No one thinks twice about killing or a dog killing a rat or a snake, or a coon or fox for killing their chicken, or a coyote for killing a lamb.
The owner has been 'named and shamed' and pictured in the UK national media. The personal consequences of that are likely to be more severe than anything the law has in store for her.
I'll be entirely honest, the pictures of the attack stir a much stronger emotional response in me than what would be justifiable rationally. If I knew this lady personally, I think I'd probably disassociate myself from her simply because I'd find it hard to forgive her.
Being in an area that allows off leash animals and keeping your animal under control is fine. This was right by the river where there are regularly seals on the beach and it is being investigated by law enforcement. There is almost certainly a leash law in that area. Additionally walking your dog on an empty beach is different than walking your dog off leash in an area where you know there is defenseless wildlife sunbathing is slightly different.
I know you dont agree with excessive government oversight but this woman clearly did not have control of her animals and her animal was a danger to the wildlife. It should have been leashed for everyones protection
I guess it depends on the area. Ocean City has a dog beach just over one of the bridges, and no leashes are required the dogs run all around the beach and in and out of the surf. No one is really “controlling them”, they’re playing while owners sunbathe, etc. In those settings just like dog parks, it’s actually bad to put a dog on a leash because it can make the other dogs aggressive. I don’t know what this area was like though.
If that's the dog's idea of playing, he's got no business running around in public without a muzzle and leash.
Besides, had he been properly handled by his owner, this wouldn't have happened. It's amazing how all the dog owners jump in to defend this dog.
Ah, that is what dogs do, that is how many play; have you ever seen the play toys for dogs? Big, gain chew toys, tug ropes, etc, designed to appeal to the natural instincts of a dog.
I am not a dog owner, I have never owned a dog in my adult life. I own cats, have over 20 of them. I have encountered plenty of incidents where a dog attacked a cat, and had to pick up the pieces, yet even then, I have the common sense to know that is what a dog does, that is what tis genetics are. Me getting mad at the dog for attacking a cat would like me getting mad at a cat for attacking a mouse.
The responsibility is with the owner period. The dog did not display anything unnatural. It did not attack a person, it did not even show it was an attack on the seal given its lack of going for the neck, a natural area for attacking. It looked like it was either playing, or scared and thought it was defending itself. A video would help though.
They didn't think he would ever be able to be back on the beach due to the extent of the injuries but I'd bet here in the US, he would have had the extensive surgery and been cared for the rest of his natural life.
I know a lot of people who have had squirrel and rabbit dogs and thought it great fun to use them to tree the squirrels and flush the rabbits so they could shoot them.
Isn't the UK big on fox hunting?
This is U.K. law on fox hunting;
Foxes. It's illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs.
You can use dogs to simulate hunting, for example 'drag' or 'trail' hunting.
You can use up to 2 dogs to chase ('flush' or 'stalk') foxes out of hiding if the fox is causing damage to your property or the environment.
Ever been around seals? They are often not scared of people at all. It is not uncommon to be able to walk right up to them.
No I haven’t. But the seals that are in urban settings are of course more bold. They are habituated to humans. And Freddie Mercury probably moreso than most, so he was probably not expecting the dog to attack, not even aware of the possibility.
A wild seal may have had more of a flight instinct.
Also, it looks in the pic like that dog is leashed, but loosely, attached to the woman’s belt or waist band.
No I haven’t. But the seals that are in urban settings are of course more bold. They are habituated to humans. And Freddie Mercury probably moreso than most, so he was probably not expecting the dog to attack, not even aware of the possibility.
A wild seal may have had more of a flight instinct.
Also, it looks in the pic like that dog is leashed, but loosely, attached to the woman’s belt or waist band.
The Dog belonged to a Queens Counsel (QC) Barrister, in other words a top Lawyer.
Apparently she is heartbroken by events.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC News
Dog owner Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC said she "apologises unreservedly" and will not face charges over the incident.
In a statement, the commercial barrister said: "I am heartbroken by this terrible accident.
"As an animal lover, I fully understand the dismay that has been expressed."
Ms Sabben-Clare said she wished "in hindsight" she had put her dog on a lead but at the time "it did not seem necessary".
She continued: "I left for my own safety and that of my dog, believing that there was nothing that I could do to help as the seal was being looked after by a vet and help had been called. I offered my contact details to the vet before leaving."
The Oxford graduate was interviewed by the RSPCA and also contacted police.
The Met said following an investigation no further criminal action will be taken by them.
Ms Sabben-Clare has made a donation to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Tilbury, which treated the seal.
Common or harbour seals can often be seen in and along the Thames, with the Zoological Society of London's Thames Marine Mammal Survey reporting 117 sightings of the semi-aquatic mammals this year.
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