Dangerous dog will be destroyed following attack on man and son in Northampton

The Staffy-Lurcher cross escaped its house with two others of the same breed and attacked another dog and injuring its owner
A dog will be destroyed after a it escaped its home and attacked another dog, leading to a man and his son get injured.A dog will be destroyed after a it escaped its home and attacked another dog, leading to a man and his son get injured.
A dog will be destroyed after a it escaped its home and attacked another dog, leading to a man and his son get injured.

A dog who escaped his house and caused injuries to a man and his son as they fought to stop it attacking their pet in Northampton will be destroyed.

The Staffy-Lurcher cross escaped from its home along with two other dogs of the same breed in an incident in Duston in December 2019.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At the same time, a man and his 13-year-old son were walking their own dog on Newton Road when the three Staffy-Lurchers piled in and attacked the pet.

While trying to get them away, the man and his son suffered scratches and injuries to their hands, including a cut to the boy's thumb.

The wounded pet reportedly required vet care amounting to £1,000 in costs that the owner had to pay for.

Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday how the three dogs' owner Tina Penfold - 46, of Clee Rise - "acted responsibly" in trying to get the dogs away and even called the police.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the judge ruled he could not spare one of the dogs - named Muppet - that was already under a control order for dangerous behaviour from a previous incident.

"I'm not prepared to order the destruction of the other two dogs," said Recorder Mr Patrick Upward. "But I'm afraid Muppet has demonstrated a propensity for aggression once too often.

"In my view, he represents a serious danger to people if left at large."

The court heard a witness statement from a neighbour that Penfold was otherwise "a responsible pet owner", but that the three dogs had escaped in a mishap.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A destruction order was made in relation to Muppet. The other two dogs were subject to a control order.

Penfold was also given a conditional discharge for one count of being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, and was ordered to pat £1,500 in compensation to the victim's family.