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8/17/06 Update on K9 Saxon: Still in danger of being put down
Aug 21, 2006
Dear friends,

This letter (scroll to bottom of this post) from the Gwent County Police Department was posted by Simone to our group, "Demanding Tougher Penalties for Animal Abuse!" (Highly recommended, this group is where I do alot of my work on Care2). 

It seems that the Gwent County Police Department is trying to make the case that there are simply no alternatives for Saxon except to put him down.

This is absolutely ridiculous. 

If wild animals can be managed safely in sanctuaries, surely a german shepherd like Saxon can.  To suggest that there is no viable alternative for Saxon besides the ones they have considered is simply wrong.

We need to let the Gwent County Police Department know that Saxon has earned a right to live.  That no matter what "independent" assessments they hire, no one will ever know Saxon's side of the story.

Mike and Carol have offered to sign whatever legal waiver they request, relieving them of any liability.  We need to keep up the pressure for them to do the right thing.

K9's are safely retired as a matter of routine everywhere.  Please, if you can, do email Gwent County Police Department once more.  Let them know that there are alternatives other than the ones they have considered.  By no means is DEATH the only option for Saxon.

For example, he could be retired to a sanctuary.

If you have connections with any animal sanctuaries that would be willing to take Saxon in, please contact them and let them know of Saxon's plight.

Saxon has saved lives, including Mike's, he has apprehended criminals that would have taken lives of innocents in the community, he deserves to live.

If Saxon has been "spooked" or "traumatized" by his close run-ins with criminals, he can still be helped and deserves to be helped.  Retiring from active police duty and spending time with those who love him is probably all that is needed.  He does not have to be put down.

I know that I am preaching to the convinced here.  Sorry for that.  Its just breaking my heart that they would ever consider doing this.  Every time I see the picture of Mike and Saxon, I picture them on the couch together looking like some happy old couple, just like Carol described.

Once again, here's the email address:

policeauthority@gwent.pnn.police.uk


I truly believe that all of our emails, signing the petition, etc. have kept Saxon alive to this point.  Let's all do this final push to bring Saxon home to the Townleys.  If this can't be done, we have to push for Saxon to be released to a sanctuary. 

Under no circumstances, should he be put down, just because this is the most EXPEDIENT option for the police department.  It is their responsiblity to save Saxon's life, just like it was his responsibility to save theirs.  To forego this responsiblity would be unconscionable.


                                 so much, Melanie


The following is the letter from the Gwent County Police Department.

The police dog Saxon, has now been assessed on a number of occasions in order to allow the Force to make the right decision about its future.

Concerns about the dog's demeanour were first raised by its handler several weeks ago. As a result, a local assessment was conducted by Gwent Police, which confirmed the handler's concerns that the dog represented a risk to the general public. The Force attempted to find an alternative role for the dog, but it was subsequently assessed by the Prison Service as being unsuitable for use within the prison environment.

In order to obtain an independent opinion, Saxon has since been assessed by officers from Strathclyde Police who are recognised nationally for their expertise in this area. The assessment confirmed that for reasons of public safety, the dog could no longer be used for policing purpose, nor was it suitable for transfer to another public service organisation, nor would it be safe for it to be kept as a pet by any member of the public.

A significant amount of interest has been shown in Saxon's future and Gwent Police recognises that for some people, this is an emotive issue. We have therefore decided to obtain a third party opinion from an organisation, which is completely independent of the police service. It has been agreed that an accredited member of the Institute of Professional Dog Trainers will undertake this assessment and arrangements have been made for it to take place on Friday of this week.

Once this assessment has been completed, the findings will be considered along with those, which have already been undertaken and a decision will be taken about the dog’s future. Gwent Police has commissioned this additional independent assessment to ensure that we make the right decision, which carefully balances the welfare of the animal against our responsibility to ensure that the public is not put at risk.

We would stress that no decision has yet been made regarding Saxon's future, nor will it be until the additional independent assessment has been completed at the end of the week.

- ENDS -

Corporate Communications

Thursday August 17, 2006

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Posted: Aug 21, 2006 7:36pm

 
 
 
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Melanie B.
female , committed relationship
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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