Daschund facing dangerous dog death sentence

9:50am Monday 22nd January 2007

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A MINIATURE sausage dog is facing a possible death sentence after nipping a neighbour's ankle.

At 8ins in height Lucy the Daschund doesn't look the most fearsome of creatures.

But she faces being destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act if owner Melanie Hobson is convicted of allowing her to run amok.

Mother-of-two Melanie appeared at Newcastle Magistrates Court last week where she pleaded not guilty to having a dog dangerously out of control in a public place.

Melanie, who faces a fine and the prospect of Lucy being destroyed if found guilty, has now spoken out in defence of her dog.

The 25-year-old mum from Gosforth, Newcastle, said: "I've never been to court before and I found it very intimidating.

"I can't believe this is happening. Lucy is a lovely dog and I would never have her round my kids if I thought she was dangerous.

"You only need to look at her, she's tiny, how can she be classed as a dangerous dog?

"I just want this whole nightmare to be over, I can't bear the thought of Lucy being put down, I don't know how I would break that to the kids, they love her."

Full time mother Melanie lives with her husband Stephen, 33, and their two children Monique, two, and Jacob, four.

"The kids adore Lucy and to be honest they drag her all over the place.

"She's kind and gentle with them and incredibly patient.

"I just can't emphasise enough how tiny she is."

Melanie said on October 9, the day of the alleged attack, she was carrying shopping into her home at 3.45pm while her children and Lucy ran in front of her.

"Next thing I know our neighbour accuses Lucy of biting him on the ankle.

She's never done anything like that before."

A week later the police knocked on Melanie's door to take a statement from her.

"When they saw how big Lucy was you could see in their faces they thought 'what are we doing here?' "I thought that would be the last of it but then I got the court summons and I was absolutely petrified."

Melanie said she felt like a criminal when she appeared at magistrates court and found the whole experience frightening.

"It was awful, I'm not a criminal. On the face of it, it is funny - I mean a sausage dog a dangerous dog?

"But then the reality is I'm in court and the children could lose their best friend if Lucy is put down.

"I know the authorities are having to be careful at the moment because of all the news about dangerous dogs but everybody I've spoken to about it find it hard to believe."

Melanie now faces a trial later this year.