This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-35635935
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police lock up dog with no exercise for two years | Police lock up dog with no exercise for two years |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police kept a dog in a 1m (3ft) by 3m (9ft) cage for two years without ever exercising it, the BBC can reveal. | Police kept a dog in a 1m (3ft) by 3m (9ft) cage for two years without ever exercising it, the BBC can reveal. |
| Stella was seized after her owner was arrested on an unrelated matter in Devon in 2014. | Stella was seized after her owner was arrested on an unrelated matter in Devon in 2014. |
| Devon and Cornwall Police refused to give specific reasons why the dog could not be exercised. They said she was considered potentially dangerous. | Devon and Cornwall Police refused to give specific reasons why the dog could not be exercised. They said she was considered potentially dangerous. |
| A worker at the kennels said they were told by police not to exercise dogs held under the Dangerous Dogs Act. | A worker at the kennels said they were told by police not to exercise dogs held under the Dangerous Dogs Act. |
| A destruction order for Stella was passed by Torquay Magistrates' Court on 8 February. Her owner has 28 days to appeal. | |
| More on this story and other news from Devon and Cornwall | |
| Laura Khanlarian worked as an assistant at the private kennel used by Devon and Cornwall Police. | Laura Khanlarian worked as an assistant at the private kennel used by Devon and Cornwall Police. |
| She said Stella left her kennel twice during her stay, only for behaviour assessments. | She said Stella left her kennel twice during her stay, only for behaviour assessments. |
| Ms Khanlarian said: "We were always told not to exercise or go into a kennel with any dogs, regardless of character, that had been brought in under the Dangerous Dogs Act. | Ms Khanlarian said: "We were always told not to exercise or go into a kennel with any dogs, regardless of character, that had been brought in under the Dangerous Dogs Act. |
| "We were under no circumstances allowed to touch any of those dogs - which was hard. | |
| "Animal welfare comes before anything, and that was my job. I don't believe I would be doing it properly if I would sit back and think that's ok. It wasn't ok - it's not ok." | "Animal welfare comes before anything, and that was my job. I don't believe I would be doing it properly if I would sit back and think that's ok. It wasn't ok - it's not ok." |
| 'Unjustified' | 'Unjustified' |
| Kendal Shepherd, a vet of 30 years and animal behaviour expert, said: "It's terrible. It's unjustified. It's wasting huge amounts of money and it's not doing a single thing to prevent dog bites. | Kendal Shepherd, a vet of 30 years and animal behaviour expert, said: "It's terrible. It's unjustified. It's wasting huge amounts of money and it's not doing a single thing to prevent dog bites. |
| "It's cruel. But it's what our system forces us to do." | "It's cruel. But it's what our system forces us to do." |
| The RSPCA has created a guide to good practice for all police forces, which states: "Dogs must be provided with the opportunity to exercise away from their kennel at least once a day and this should be for a total of at least 30 minutes." | The RSPCA has created a guide to good practice for all police forces, which states: "Dogs must be provided with the opportunity to exercise away from their kennel at least once a day and this should be for a total of at least 30 minutes." |
| Stella | Stella |
| Stella, a pit bull-type dog, was considered potentially dangerous because of her breed, her behaviour when police seized her and her behaviour in assessments. | Stella, a pit bull-type dog, was considered potentially dangerous because of her breed, her behaviour when police seized her and her behaviour in assessments. |
| Court proceedings heard from her owner Antony Hastie who said there were no incidents of aggressive behaviour prior to her being seized. | Court proceedings heard from her owner Antony Hastie who said there were no incidents of aggressive behaviour prior to her being seized. |
| Evidence heard during the court case included video footage of Stella's behaviour after she had spent nearly two years locked in the kennel. | Evidence heard during the court case included video footage of Stella's behaviour after she had spent nearly two years locked in the kennel. |
| Mr Hastie attended court 11 times over Stella, but in February 2016 it was ruled she should be destroyed. | Mr Hastie attended court 11 times over Stella, but in February 2016 it was ruled she should be destroyed. |
| Sgt Allan Knight, from the Devon and Cornwall Police dog handling unit, said the force has released dogs back to their owners during proceedings in the past. | Sgt Allan Knight, from the Devon and Cornwall Police dog handling unit, said the force has released dogs back to their owners during proceedings in the past. |
| "There will always be some dogs, for whatever reason, that cannot go back, and cannot get walked by staff because of the danger they possess. | "There will always be some dogs, for whatever reason, that cannot go back, and cannot get walked by staff because of the danger they possess. |
| "We are bound by the court process." | "We are bound by the court process." |
| The force declined to offer a specific explanation as to why Stella should be kept in such a confined area and refused exercise for the length of time she was. | The force declined to offer a specific explanation as to why Stella should be kept in such a confined area and refused exercise for the length of time she was. |
| The full story will be shown on BBC Inside Out South West on Monday 29 February at 19:30 and will be available on BBC iPlayer. | The full story will be shown on BBC Inside Out South West on Monday 29 February at 19:30 and will be available on BBC iPlayer. |