Latest news with #Staffy
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Owner of Pocket Bully dog that attacked boy, 5, says child 'was in the wrong'
Aaron Eccles, who was previously homeless and lived with the Pocket Bully, said his dog is fiercely loyal and that the attack was a 'genuine mistake' with no malicious intent The owner of a Bully dog which attacked a five-year-old boy claims it was a "genuine mistake" and said the child was "in the wrong". Arron Eccles' Pocket Bully attacked Antonio Quinn after the boy came into the house and startled the pet. The dog left Antonio with injuries to his face and legs. Antonio went on to need a three-hour-long operation and the pet as well as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, owned by Aaron's partner, were taken away from the site of the attack. But Aaron, 34, has defended his pet, telling The Sun: "It's a genuine mistake and the parents aren't accepting the fact that their child's in the wrong for coming into the house." Arron also said he would be happy for his pet to play with his own six-month-old son. Antonio's stunned mum Amanda Holmes slammed the owner's claim and said the child was "very lucky to be alive", insisting he was not at all to blame. She claimed that "trying to justify" the dog's behaviour was "sickening". Aaron said he arrived home on May 26 to some "20 armed officers" outside, and claimed the incident did not mean his Pocket Bully Harry was "dangerous". Antonio was attacked after he followed Aaron's six-year-old stepson into the home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. The Staffy was kept in a cage to keep her away from Harry. Aaron went on to say: "I came back and there's 20 armed police terrorising my dogs, pepper spraying them and winding them up. He got reported as an XL Bully but it wasn't. He's a Pocket Bully." Pocket Bully dogs are not covered by the ban on XL Bully dogs. The ban was introduced by the previous Conservative government following several brutal attacks on people, and now owners need valid certificates of exemption to own them. Aaron said there would not have been a similar response if they knew Harry was smaller than an XL Bully. He added most dogs react to an "intruder" in their territory. "The dog's never met the little boy before so he's thought he's an intruder and he's nipped him to warn him to get out," he said. "He hasn't grabbed hold of him and shook him about - nothing like how it's been portrayed." Aaron said his partner told her son not to go back into the house and added: "It's a genuine mistake and the parents aren't accepting the fact that their child's in the wrong for coming into the house." Aaron was previously homeless with Harry and credits him as his only companion. He added the dog is extremely loyal to him and normally acts "like a teddy bear".
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Top vet reveals why a 'dangerous' dog ban would be a huge mistake after a six-year-old girl was mauled at a park
An animal behaviour expert has claimed banning certain dog breeds wouldn't prevent attacks from the animals, following a series of shocking incidents across the country. In the latest dog mauling, a six-year-old girl underwent emergency surgery after she suffered horrific injuries during a frightening and unprovoked Staffy attack on Sunday. The harrowing ordeal unfolded while Margot McNicol and her family were at Nairne's newest off-leash facility, Woofside Road Dog Park, in the Adelaide Hills. Margot was playing with her puppy when an American Staffy leapt up and latched onto her head, sparking widespread calls for the government to ban the canines. 'Breed speaks for itself. Poor girl,' one Aussie wrote online, prompting another to agree that 'there are far too many ferocious dogs around' and Australia should 'just ban them'. One person took aim at the 'not the dog's fault nutters' who 'put a human life second'. And someone else had an issue with another breed, saying that 'it's always Pitbulls, always'. However, President of the Australian Veterinarian Behaviour Group, Dr Isabelle Resch, told Daily Mail Australia that 'there's been plenty of different studies that show banning breeds does not work' and that dogs like Staffys can be great pets. Dr Isabelle Resch (right) wants dog owners to be better educated on how to care for their pet after a six-year-old girl was mauled in Adelaide (left) Dogs that are currently banned in Australia are the American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. American Staffordshire Terriers are not banned in Australia. It was the same dog breed that mauled a five-week old baby boy to death as his parents slept at a NSW Central Coast home in 2021. Dr Resch has been a vet for more than 30 years but now works in the field of veterinarian psychiatry. 'There's been quite a few countries that have banned breeds like the American Pitbull and Japanese Tosa and it's failed to reduce the bite risk,' Ms Resch said. 'We need to look at community education and how we interact with dogs.' 'I look after the mental health of dogs and I guess I'm an activist in educating people in the community about how we can help the emotional welfare of dogs,' Dr Resch said. She said breed was 'not an indicator of behaviour' and that it was human actions that had a big impact on how dogs acted. 'There might be some genetic lines that are more prone to some behaviours but just the fact that you're a Rottweiler does not mean you're more likely to be aggressive,' she said. 'Aggression is saying 'bugger off and move away, I'm scared you're going to hurt me', so aggression is a normal response. 'People don't understand how we behaviour around dogs. Our body language often puts dogs in a position where they feel really threatened.' Dr Resch said data showed dogs that bite the most around the world are often smaller breeds like terriers. 'Chihuahua's don't make it to the media because they don't put people in hospital,' she said. 'I've seen more Labradors bite. In my career I have not seen any aggressive Pitbulls.' A report by the Sydney Children's Hospital in 2022 revealed a child was being admitted to a NSW hospital every week with a dog bite. The data took into account of 628 patients who presented with dog-related injuries from 2010 to 2020 and found their average age was just five-years-old. The breeds involved in the most reported attacks were Pitbulls (10.3 per cent), followed by Labradors (8.5 per cent) and Rottweilers (6.8 per cent). The top three were followed by Bulldog (6%), Border Collie (6 per cent), Jack Russell (5.1 per cent), Terrier (other) (5.1 per cent), Kelpie (5.1 per cent), German Shepherd (4.3 per cent) and others (42.7 per cent). So nearly half of all recorded dog bites over a 10-year period were from dogs whose breed could not be identified. The results were likely skewed also because many dogs are misidentified as Pitbulls. A victim may claim that it was a Pitbull that bit them when it was in fact a different breed. And that didn't surprise Dr Resch who made the surprising claim about identification of dog breeds. 'We can't tell by looking at a dog what breed they are,' she said. 'We've got some very good DNA tests available right now and even those of us who have worked with dogs our whole lives often find we're way off the mark (in guessing a breed) after a DNA test is done.' Dr Resch also said it was a myth that cross breeds were more aggressive than pure-bred dogs, saying they didn't behave any different. She also took aim at social media and how it promoted a lot of misinformation that gave Aussies a distorted view about certain dog breeds. 'It's an absolute fallacy that Pitbulls lock their jaws. We are so biased by online content that feeds us,' she said. 'If someone tells you often enough that Pitbull's bite, you believe it, and I can tell you it's not true. 'There's just so many different variables as to what bites occur, what breed is the breed that actually caused the bite and does legislation stop the bites? No, it doesn't. 'I'm a scientist so I look at the science and I look at the research and the research has shown that banning breeds fails.' Dr Resch said dog owners were the ones who needed to behave better around their pets. 'We need to teach people how to responsibly look after their own dogs and the body language of dogs,' she said. 'They need to get permission before they approach a dog. Don't let your child just walk up to a dog. I would never recommend unsupervised contact between any dog and a child.' Dr Resch said the most common bites were in young male boys and it was generally associated with food and treats. 'That suggests to me that we're not setting these kids up or the dogs up for success. We need to put the onus back on people,' she said.
Wales Online
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Inside the lives of Gogglebox's Danielle and Daniella as they share glimpse of 'raver' lifestyle
Inside the lives of Gogglebox's Danielle and Daniella as they share glimpse of 'raver' lifestyle Danielle and Daniella are best friends who joined Gogglebox in 2022. Danielle and Daniella joined Gogglebox in 2022 (Image: CHANNEL 4 ) Gogglebox is back on Channel 4 with the usual armchair critics having their say on the latest shows. Best friends Danielle and Daniella are from Leeds, and they replaced the much-loved Sandi and Sandra back in 2022. The stars are on Instagram and they keep their fans up to date with what they enjoy doing when they are not filming the Channel 4 hit. The pair describe themselves as "professional ravers" and in March they shared a few snaps from a weekend away at Southport Weekender. Back in November Danielle, fondly known by her friends as 'Squiggle', celebrated her birthday and received well-wishes from her co-stars Ellie Warner and David and Shirley Griffiths. Danielle and Daniella are best friends Article continues below Danielle has her own personal Instagram account, on which she describes herself as a "professional middle-aged raver". She has shared plenty of photos from her travels, which include a trip to the Afro Nation music festival. Fans of the duo will also know Daniella introduced her beloved Staffy puppy, Raphy, to the series back in 2024. She said at the time: "Meet Raphael, my best friend. Raphy the Staffy is keeping me on my toes, well I just about have some toes left from his little nibbling (we're working on that). I love him soooo much." Daniella shows off her rave attire Daniella is on Instagram as shockolatte_deluxe and she has posted various photos of her impressive rave outfits. In February 2025, she celebrated her 42nd birthday and thanked fans for sending their love. She even offered some insight into her family life as she offered a shout-out to her mother. She said: "Thank you for all your birthday messages for my 42nd birthday. Nuff love. Article continues below "I chilled my backside in bed thanks to a ridiculous cold which floored me however I managed to peel myself out of bed at the weekend to catch my mum's dj set at Luv of Dub with 4th generation sound." Gogglebox airs on Channel 4 on Fridays at 9pm
Irish Independent
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Singer Jake Carter on his dog Lenny: ‘I'm quite sure he'll be there on my wedding day'
Taking his name from Beatles star John Lennon, the musician's beloved Cavapoo goes everywhere with him and his fiancee Karen Byrne, and will no doubt be a guest on their big day I was never really a dog person, until Lenny, that is; Lenny changed everything. I remember having a family dog, alright, when I was growing up in Liverpool — a Staffy called Izzy — but I was only about five or six at the time so she never made a big impression. My partner Karen, though, she had loads of dogs around her growing up; lots of them were street dogs who roamed about during the day but Karen's family brought them inside to sleep at night. They also had a family dog — Ted — and he only died a few years ago. So when myself and Karen [Byrne] got together, she was always on at me about getting a dog. 'We don't have time,' I'd say. 'I'm always gigging and you're always at the dance studio, teaching.'
Courier-Mail
26-04-2025
- Courier-Mail
Distressing moment dog stolen from dad on walk by group of youths
Don't miss out on the headlines from Animals. Followed categories will be added to My News. A nightmare situation has unfolded for a 72-year-old dad walking his dog in Melbourne. Five-year-old Morticia, known as 'Morti', was stolen from her owner Boguslaw Gawrysiak by a group of youths in a distressing situation in Mount Waverley. Mr Gawrysiak was walking Morti along Huntingdale Road at about 2.30am when a black Holden Commodore with five young people, who looked to be in their late teens and early 20s, approached. Mr Gawrysiak's daughter Ewa Gawrysiak told those in the car started yelling demands for Morti like 'we want the dog' and 'give us the dog'. Morticia was stolen while on a walk in the early hours of Friday. She is a five-year-old Staffy cross. '[Dad] blew it off as drunks coming home after a night out,' Ewa said, explaining her family were shift workers and it wasn't unusual for her dad to walk the dog after finishing work in the early hours of the morning. But then, she said, they came to a stop and at least one person appeared to exit the car. Mr Gawrysiak ran into a nearby convenience store on Waverley Road in Chadstone. Ewa said her dad was 'hiding' with Morti in the store when the two young women and three young men all confronted him. She said her dad tried to pull Morti back as one of the women patted her saying how 'cute' she was, but then the dog was unhooked from her lead as Mr Gawrysiak was pushed away by others in the group. Morticia was adopted by the Gawrysiak family in 2022. They say she is 'an oversized lapdog'. Ewa Gawrysiak said her sister, who adopted Morti from the RSPCA in 2022, was 'heartbroken' and was now trying to get home to Australia. Morti is a white English staffordshire terrier cross. Ewa described her as 'oversized lapdog' and 'a giant snuggle buddy' who loves people and is 'so sympathetic to their emotions'. Victoria Police is investigating and said the Commodore had no plates and was last seen driving south on Huntingdale Road. Any witnesses or anyone with CCTV, dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at Originally published as Distressing moment dog stolen from dad on walk by group of youths
