Liverpool, England - Venus Going Home

[lmwvic]

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/03/09/home_for_venus/

© By June Maxam

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND—After being locked away from her owner for almost a year, Venus is going home!

The death sentence lodged against Venus, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, was vacated Friday in a Liverpool appeals court.

A year ago this month, Venus, then a year and a day old, was seized by police under the United Kingdom’s draconian Dangerous Dog Act because she was arbitrarily labeled a “pit bull type”.

In July, 2011, a judge ordered her destroyed and she’s been on death row since then.

Her sister, born just moments apart, had been exempted under the UK’s breed specific legislation.

An assessment video of Venus, conducted in July, 2011 by assessor Guy Richardson, some four months after she was seized, showed what a near-perfect, well-behaved, docile, socialized dog she is.

It seemed clear that the original judge had seriously abused his discretion in issuing the destruction order.

Venus, owned by Victoria Flynn from Kent,England, was seized with her litter-sister Athena in March 2011. Their ‘mum’ had travelled to visit relatives in Liverpool for the weekend, taking Venus and Athena with her, as she couldn’t bear to be apart from them.

Last July, even after viewing the assessment view, the judge, one man playing God and perhaps with a personal bias towards pit bulls or maybe the owner, refused to accept the honest and open assessment, unrealistically decreeing that Venus was a threat to public safety and that she should be destroyed rather than be exempted and returned to her owner as Athena has been.

The dog was seized by Constable P. Casson, “dog legislation officer” of the Merseyside Police. In the 13 minute long assessment video in which the dog is virtually terrorized by the assessor and yet remains totally docile and obedient, the assessor labels her as “friendly and quite well-behaved”.

Athena had been returned eight days after she was seized as police decided she wasn’t ‘of type’, but they kept Venus under section 4b of the Dangerous Dog Act, despite both dogs being of the same litter.

Athena’s owner was not allowed to collect her due to Venus being kept at the same kennels. Venus’ owner has not been allowed to visit Venus since she was seized in March and the dog has been held in captivity in a secret location.

At the initial court hearing in July, Venus and her owner had no legal representation as because Venus’ assessment report was so glowing, it was thought she would be going home.

Venus had passed her police and individual behavior assessments deeming her to be safe and a danger to no one. The judge however refused to take these assessments into consideration, seemingly hell bent to kill an innocent dog.

Flynn was represented at the appeal on Friday.

A behaviorist for the defense went toe to toe with infamous dog trainer Peter Tallack, the proescution’s witness but when the dust was settled, Tallack had his tail between his legs and Venus was headed home.

The solicitor, who is also a veterinarian, insisted on Venus’ assessment video being seen by the judge to argue the point of measurements.

The supporter said that judge denied the prosecution kennel costs totaling 240 pounds or about $376, from the date of seizure because he said the magistrates should have dealt with the case months ago.

The judge praised Victoria’s care of the dog and said he had no qualms about releasing her once the dog was tattooed and the paperwork completed.

The original appeal date for Venus in an effort to save the dog’s life was set for Sept. 26 in Liverpool Crown Court. Her owner was told she had to raise £3,000 to £4,000 to pay court fees plus £10 per day police kennel fees.

That date was canceled and an appeal date was set for Dec. 21 which was also then canceled.

A petition pleading for the court and government to return Venus to her owner and litter mate has collected over 13,000 signatures. 3-9-12

Edited March 15, 2012 by lmwvic