Latest news with #XL
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Woman avoids jail after her starving XL bully is rescued from squalid conditions
Owner admits regrets having left dog to fend for itself in property 'covered in excrement' A dog owner who admitted abandoning her XL bully pooch without food or water in a house 'covered' in excrement has been spared prison. Aoife McDowell also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal, which was left to chew on cans. She was handed a suspended prison term at Laganside Magistrates Court last week. It was revealed during the hearing that ratepayers have been left to foot more than £1,700 in costs relating to her prosecution. Her solicitor told the court: 'She accepts full responsibility for the offending. She says what happened to the dog has killed her inside. 'This occurred while she was in a violent and controlling relationship where she wasn't allowed to leave the house. 'She had a tooth knocked out and hair ripped out of her head. She has since left this relationship and recognises she made mistakes. 'There has been social media attention on this case and her family has been subject to abuse in the street as a result. 'She has been working with probation and is seeking to return to rehab to deal with pregabalin and cocaine issues.' Aoife McDowell outside Laganside Courts (Luke Jervis/Belfast Telegraph) Sentencing her for what he described as a 'serious matter', District Judge George Conner handed McDowell eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He also barred her from keeping animals for 10 years. Belfast City Council made an application for costs totalling £2,179 but Judge Conner said he had to be 'realistic' about what she could afford and ordered her to repay £400. Previous hearings were told how a neighbour near McDowell's old address on Bell Steel Manor, west Belfast, contacted animal welfare last November after hearing prolonged barking and crying. The neighbour told council staff the dog had been left unattended in the house for nine days, apart from a 15-minute visit. When welfare officers attended the property, they found the dog in a 'very poor' condition, an earlier court was told. They said the animal was 'barking inside without food or water available' and they left a note for McDowell to contact them immediately. XL bully (Stock image) The animal welfare officers visited the following day, and again several days later, only to find the dog left in the same conditions and without access to either food or water. After gaining a court order to access the property, they were confronted with a horrifying scene. 'Every room was covered in faeces, rubbish and clutter,' prosecutors said, with the animal having 'chewed through furniture and tins of food' in search of sustenance. They continued: 'Chewing the tins may have damaged the animal's mouth, and a vet assessed the dog as experiencing suffering.' McDowell, now with an address in Woodside in Lisburn, was one of four people convicted of XL bully-related offences at Belfast Magistrates Court on the same day by the City Council. Three men were each fined hundreds of pounds for XL bully attacks on other dogs. Aoife McDowell (Luke Jervis/Belfast Telegraph) News in 90 Seconds - May 29th
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Chief constable to face questions on romance scams
Antisocial behaviour and romance fraud will be among the topics discussed when Kent's chief constable answers questions on BBC Radio Kent. Chief Constable Tim Smith will appear in the hot seat on Thursday, answering presenter Dominic King's questions on his programme live from 10:00 BST. The Kent Police boss will also answer questions on pay and working conditions in the force. This will be his fourth time in the hot seat. Appearing on the programme in January, Mr Smith said Kent Police had asked the government for funding to help with the "huge costs" of enforcing the ban on XL bully dogs. He has worked for Kent Police for 31 years and started as chief constable in 2022. The chief constable reports to the police and crime commissioner and is responsible for Kent Police's direction and managing its budget. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. '£1.5m boost to put police in crime hotspots' - PCC Bully XL ban has 'huge costs' say Kent Police Shoplifters being targeted in Kent - police chief Kent Police
Sunday World
19-05-2025
- Sunday World
Arrest warrant issued for man ‘too hungover' to search for his missing XL Bully
Vernon Carroll, of Ross Cross, Tara, Co Meath failed to appear to face numerous charges The owner of a missing XL bully dog who told the dog warden he was too hungover to search for it had a warrant issued for his arrest at Navan district court last week. Vernon Carroll, of Ross Cross, Tara, Co Meath failed to appear to face numerous charges under the control of dog act (1986). Meath dog warden, Alan Nolan, told the court that on 23rd July 2024 he got a call from Dunshaughlin Garda Station saying there was an XL Bully-type dog roaming the main road from Dublin to Dunshaughlin. He and a colleague got to Ross Cross and could not locate the dog. They got a further call from the Gardai saying an XL Bully-type dog was at Skryne Church where a funeral was taking place. The pair went up to Mr Carroll's house. Mr Nolan said he had had previous dealings with Mr Carroll's son three years previously in relation to XL Bully dogs and bulldogs there. When they asked Mr Carroll Senior where his dogs were. He said the dogs had been missing since last night. In evidence Nolan said, 'I asked him was he not willing to go out and look for the dog and he said he was very hungover and he had no interest in going out to look for the dogs and that the XL was not aggressive. 'I asked him to help us look for the dogs and he refused. I then issued a 10-day notice for two other pit bull dogs on the site and the XL Bully dog that was missing. 'We went up towards Skryne and met the dog on the public road, it actually was very very aggressive. 'I tried using a catchpole but it proved next to impossible to contain it. "It had no muzzle on and any time I went near it it attacked me, it was causing traffic chaos and Gardai had to be called. 'The situation was so bad I seriously considered calling the kennels and asking someone to bring me a dart gun. When Mr Carroll arrived the dog was even reluctant to go to him, but he eventually put a lead on it and walked it away after swearing at us a few times. When told Carroll was a no show in court Judge Erin McKiernan issued the arrest warrant.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MP bitten by dog while posting election leaflets
An MP has called on pet owners to keep dogs away from letter boxes after he was bitten while delivering leaflets. Exeter Labour MP Steve Race needed hospital treatment after his finger was bitten by a dog as he posted campaign material, he said. He is backing a campaign by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Blue Cross charity urging dog owners to make sure pets are not a risk to people delivering to their homes. He said: "I have had a bit of a taste of what postal workers and delivery workers have every day of their lives." Race said he needed treatment at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital after being bitten on 1 May. He said an X-ray found a bone in his little finger was chipped and debris from the dog's mouth was in the wound. Race said many people were unaware they could be prosecuted if their dog attacked a delivery person - even if the contact was made via letter box. "I'm working with the CWU and the Blue Cross to showcase the online resources that are available to help dog owners to effectively manage this risk," he added. Two other politicians have also been attacked by dogs in Devon and backed Race's call for more responsible dog ownership. Former North Devon Conservative MP Selaine Saxby said she was door-knocking last May when someone's pet took "a chunk" out of her leg. She said the dog came out of the back door of a house she knocked at but there was no sign on the gate suggesting dogs were running loose. "The height of the bite was that of a child's face - and it would have been very different if it had been a child," she said. She said she needed hospital treatment and was left feeling more nervous of dogs after the attack. "We have people delivering to our homes every day and it should be safe for posties and deliveries. If not, there should be signs and a box at the end of the drive," she added. Torbay Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling, whose guide dog Jennie suffered injuries after being attacked by an American XL bully, said he wanted work done to prevent all dog attacks, not just those on delivery people. He said on a separate occasion he was bitten by a small terrier and believed the safety issue was not about specific breeds but about socialisation and tighter laws around dog control. "At the time Jennie was attacked, there was a lot of furore surrounding XL bullies, but I do not believe it is about banning a breed - it is about correct socialisation of dogs and responsible ownership." Kerry Taylor, education manager at the Blue Cross, said: "Every year thousands of postal workers are injured by dogs. "Most of these situations could have been prevented and most of these dogs are family pets that owners never dreamt could scare or harm anyone." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Campaign to protect postal staff from dog attacks Mail deliveries halted over dog running loose Election candidate's fingertip bitten off by dog Protecting your postie
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MP bitten by dog while posting election leaflets
An MP has called on pet owners to keep dogs away from letter boxes after he was bitten while delivering leaflets. Exeter Labour MP Steve Race needed hospital treatment after his finger was bitten by a dog as he posted campaign material, he said. He is backing a campaign by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Blue Cross charity urging dog owners to make sure pets are not a risk to people delivering to their homes. He said: "I have had a bit of a taste of what postal workers and delivery workers have every day of their lives." Race said he needed treatment at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital after being bitten on 1 May. He said an X-ray found a bone in his little finger was chipped and debris from the dog's mouth was in the wound. Race said many people were unaware they could be prosecuted if their dog attacked a delivery person - even if the contact was made via letter box. "I'm working with the CWU and the Blue Cross to showcase the online resources that are available to help dog owners to effectively manage this risk," he added. Two other politicians have also been attacked by dogs in Devon and backed Race's call for more responsible dog ownership. Former North Devon Conservative MP Selaine Saxby said she was door-knocking last May when someone's pet took "a chunk" out of her leg. She said the dog came out of the back door of a house she knocked at but there was no sign on the gate suggesting dogs were running loose. "The height of the bite was that of a child's face - and it would have been very different if it had been a child," she said. She said she needed hospital treatment and was left feeling more nervous of dogs after the attack. "We have people delivering to our homes every day and it should be safe for posties and deliveries. If not, there should be signs and a box at the end of the drive," she added. Torbay Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling, whose guide dog Jennie suffered injuries after being attacked by an American XL bully, said he wanted work done to prevent all dog attacks, not just those on delivery people. He said on a separate occasion he was bitten by a small terrier and believed the safety issue was not about specific breeds but about socialisation and tighter laws around dog control. "At the time Jennie was attacked, there was a lot of furore surrounding XL bullies, but I do not believe it is about banning a breed - it is about correct socialisation of dogs and responsible ownership." Kerry Taylor, education manager at the Blue Cross, said: "Every year thousands of postal workers are injured by dogs. "Most of these situations could have been prevented and most of these dogs are family pets that owners never dreamt could scare or harm anyone." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Campaign to protect postal staff from dog attacks Mail deliveries halted over dog running loose Election candidate's fingertip bitten off by dog Protecting your postie
