Dog on death row after growling at police officer

A family are fighting to save their pet dog’s life after he was put on death row for growling at a policeman.

Sami was seized for baring his teeth to the officer after escaping from a car.

His distraught owner Maria Middleton insists the Staffordshire bull terrier did not bite or injure anyone and is now fighting to save him.

The 44-year-old’s lawyer secured a stay of execution for Sami last week when a sheriff called on him to be assessed by an animal psychologist.

But Maria, of Glasgow, is still worried sick about the prospect of Sami being put down.

“We’ve never had any problems with Sami before and it breaks my heart he could be destroyed,” she said.

“His breed often have a bad name. I’m glad the assessment is going to take place. I want him to be given a chance to prove he doesn’t deserve to be put down.”

Maria was on a trip to Inveraray, Argyll, in June, visiting friends and relatives when the incident happened.

The mum-of-two left Sami in the back of her 4×4 while she nipped into a relative’s house.

However, the dog somehow managed to free himself from the vehicle and began barking and growling at passers-by, including a policeman. The incident, which was not seen by Maria, resulted in Sami’s detention the same day by local officers.

Maria added: “Nobody was bitten or hurt in any way, yet they want to have him destroyed. I’ll fight this as far as I can take it.”

Following the incident Maria who has had Sami for seven years was found guilty of allowing the dog to be out of control in a public place. It was argued she should have ensured the car was secure.

However, she now plans to appeal against the conviction. Her solicitor, Ruben Murdanaigum, confirmed the deferment had been granted at Dunoon Sheriff Court. He said a decision on Sami’s fate is expected next month.

He said: “A continuation order has been granted and an expert will be able to assess Sami, who has no previous convictions, and indicate that he is not a danger to anyone and should be allowed to live, despite the prosecution’s view.”

Mr Murdanaigum said Sami’s moment of canine over-exuberance was over in a flash.

He added: “During the short period of liberty, the dog growled and misbehaved towards a family, a lady and a male police constable. There was no one harmed. The incident was very short.”

He believes the only way Sami could have got outside was by somebody opening the door or by pulling the handle, “which is impossible”.

Last night animal rights activists issued an impassioned plea to save the dog.

Duchess Kay Hamilton, Trustee of Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue, said: “Had this dog been another breed it’s unlikely this case would ever have come to be.

“These dogs have had a very bad press but they are very good natured. This sounds very out of character. It sounds like the dog got scared.

“It didn’t actually bite anyone which is not an attack. The reaction to this sounds over the top. It’s ridiculous. We are also concerned that it might be held in kennels which won’t help it.”

Actress and dog lover Libby McArthur also added her support to calls for Sami to be saved.

She said: “This sounds like an over-reaction because of the dog’s breed. The owner should get her dog back and get a chance to retrain it.”

IN February 2011, the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act came into force.

Unlike UK legislation, which focuses on breed, the Scots law judges dogs on their behaviour. If an owner is deemed to have a pet which is behaving badly, they can be served with a dog control notice a so-called dog ASBO. It can impose a number of conditions on the owner, including muzzling the dog in public places, keeping it on a lead and neutering it.

The owner and the dog can also be forced to complete a training course. Breach of a dog control notice is a criminal offence.

Death row dogs have been saved before

SAMI isn’t the first dog to face death in a legal argument about its behaviour.

Sam, a West Highland terrier, was condemned for barking at the home where he lived in Aberdeen. The dog captured hearts worldwide when he was sentenced to death in 2001 after a neighbour complained about his barking. His plight attracted offers of a new home from as far afield as Canada and Holland. And he was saved when a couple in Argyll offered to take him in.

However, in 2012, dog owner Tracy Jackson, of Dundee, was left distraught after her four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross C-Jay was put down for attacking a neighbour’s cat. C-Jay was the subject of a long-running court case.

Celebrities have even thrown their weight behind calls to help doomed dogs.

In 1998, a dog called Woofie was saved from being put down. The three-year-old had been threatened with destruction for chasing and barking at a postman. However, two High Court judges, sitting at Edinburgh’s Court of Session, decided to overturn the order. The case made headlines when actress Brigitte Bardot flew in to support Woofie’s owner’s fight to save their beloved pet.