Tenancy agreement changed for dog attack pet (From Sutton Guardian)

Tenancy agreement changed for Sutton dog attack family pet

9:58am Monday 16th April 2012 in News

Jenny Mayfield with her terrier Louis

A dog owner whose family pet attacked another dog had the Staffordshire Bull Terrier neutered and microchipped as a condition of keeping her home.

Jennie Mayfield's six-year-old terrier, Louis, injured another dog by biting it while walking on wasteground in Sutton.

Mrs Mayfield, 43, who lives off Brighton Road, was visited by police following the attack, but the owner of the other dog did not want to press charges.

The visit was followed by a formal letter from police explaining the importance of owners taking responsibility for their dogs.

Then as part of her tenancy agreement, Sutton Housing Partnership, insisted the dog was not only neutered, but also micro chipped and photographed.

The action was part of work by LEAD (Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs), a police led, multi-partnership initiative to encourage responsible dog ownership.

The key organisations involved are Sutton police, Sutton Council, Sutton Housing Partnership, registered social landlords, the Riverside Animal Centre and RSPCA.

Mrs Mayfield said: "Louis is a great family pet dog. Whatever I can do to keep him safe and to keep him here, I’m willing to do."

The LEAD initiative was prompted by the fatal dog attack in Demesne Road, Wallington, on 23 December 2010, when 52-year-old Barbara Williams died after being attacked in her home by an ex-paratrooper Alex Blackburn-Smith's 8st Neopolitan Mastiff.