Death Row Dogs

This programme contains some strong language and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

Dogs like these American pit bull terriers have been bred as fighting dogs since the 19th century.

In Britain, this type of dog has become increasingly popular as a status symbol.

They can be extremely unpredictable and savage.

During a 12-month period, over 5,000 people were hospitalised

after being attacked by dogs.

Some attacks have proved fatal.

Amongst them, John-Paul Massey's.

We weren't aware of what the dog was capable of.

That you're basically sharing your life with a wolf.

They can't be domesticated.

Despite being banned in 1991,

the numbers of pit bulls and other fighting dogs continues to rise.

We follow a police squad trying to stem this growing menace.

DOG BARKS

The Dangerous Dog Unit in Birmingham is preparing for a raid.

Today's warrant is in Newtown.

Recent intelligence suggests that it's being used as a dog-fighting venue.

The dogs are being identified as any breed or type.

If suitable, they'll be used for fighting. If not, they'll be used to train the fighting dogs.

The team has received a tipoff that that there's organised dog fighting taking place

at a house in the city.

OK. We'll go straight to the address.

This is tricky.

Dog specialist Tony Mills is helping his partner, Keith Evans, into his protective suit.

The reason we're having to move so fast on this one is because a lot of the evidence

that could secure a prosecution against them can be easily destroyed.

Things like drugs,

medication, that sort of thing.

That's why we've got to get in quickly.

When we burst into a house, even if the dogs are human-friendly,

you've got to bear in mind that they might become protective of their owners.

That's why you have to dress up like this.

Keep your legs together.

Let's go.

Keith is carrying an electric shield that discharges a 40-000-volt shock if touched.

They also use poles with metal lassos to restrain violent dogs.

What we don't want to do is open the door and have one loose fighting dog that then breaks free.

Nine times out of ten they are human-friendly

but don't forget we're thundering through there.

We should have stopped round the corner. We've got to move quick.

Jog on, mate.

POLICE!

POLICE!

Stand still! Get back now! Move back!

Move back now!

You! Walk to me now!

Do as you're told! Do you understand me?

Listen! Be quiet!

These two in the living room. Get them all together.

-Right.

-Through there. Go on. Through there. Move.

ALL TALK AT ONCE

Keep your mouth shut.

Shield. Don't need the shields on that door. Get rid of them. Officers in.

Are there any dogs in the premises?

The occupants deny that any of their dogs are used for fighting.

Can we get the three young males in handcuffs?

Show us you've got a warrant! Shut up, man!

We're going to go upstairs and see what we've got.

Boys, you go up first.

I'm just trying to locate this dog that I can hear.

A Great Dane cross. I don't think she's a pure Great Dane, with a litter of puppies.

MAN WHISTLES

The puppies look fine, don't they?

She seems quite a good mum. She's obviously done this before.

See her face? She's not thin in the face like a Dane.

It makes me wonder what they've put to her.

Sweetheart. Hello. Come on.

Come and see us.

Come on.

-She's still bleeding.

-Is she?

She seems irritated by something. She's been chewing on that back end all that time.

That could be related to the recent birth.

How many have we got? How many babies have you got?

One, two, three, four, five, six...

We've got seven.

Are those your babies?

Oh...

Oh, that's nice!

Something is irritating her so we'll have the guys from the RSPCA have a quick look at her.

-What's your intention with the pups?

-I'm keeping one.

I'm not selling them. I'm only giving them to good homes...

-She's not a full Dane, is she?

-No.

American bulldog.

There's an American bulldog. I don't know if you've seen it.

-Where?

-Big white one. You must have seen it.

-I think I've seen it but I don't know the geezer.

One of the men reveals the puppies are sired by an American bulldog.

People are involved in the irresponsible breeding of dogs,

and allegations of dog fighting have been made against them.

You've got to consider that the offspring of that litter

from the Great Dane bitch could be another bull breed.

This gives them this tall but also large, heavy, muscular line of dogs.

With regards to the allegation of dog fighting,

there's no...no evidence of that.

They're coming for dangerous dogs. Did you find any? Did you find any dangerous dogs?

We've got a kid living here. Do you think we're gonna fight dogs when there's a kid around?

We only watch it on YouTube. Thank you!

-Does dog fighting go on around here?

-Not that I know of.

We aren't going to fight dogs around here.

We have to go to Alum Rock.

Too many snitches.

With regards to dog fighting, they are quite a close-knit bunch,

so...it's as and when.

You've got to wait for it to come in.

The police often have to rely on local tipoffs, which inform them of potentially dangerous dogs.

They have received information that there is a banned dog on this estate.

The address Keith and the team are investigating is on the 19th floor of a tower block.

Is the dog secure?

-Do you live on your own?

-Yeah. Why?

No problem.

We've got a warrant under the Dangerous Dogs Act. We've been told you've got a section one dog.

There's excrement in there, lying around on the lounge floor

that looks a couple of days old.

I'm not nasty to them.

-Just come here a second.

-Go and speak to the officer.

I'm not going to do anything without you knowing, all right? No...

Go on!

Keith finds what he thinks is a pit bull in Patricia's flat.

Ah! Hello!

-How old do you think he is?

-He's not very old at all, is he?

-He's a beautiful boy.

-He's lovely!

I'm going to have a quick chat with this lady.

-For the time being, I'm afraid, Tyson's going to have to come with us.

-No!

I'm afraid he has to. He's a prohibited dog.

Is there a friend or anybody that can be with you?

No. I wouldn't want anybody with me.

We just want to know that you're going to be all right.

How am I going to be all right when I explain it to my fucking son?

SHE SOBS

When does your son come back? Will he want to answer any questions?

This is not the first time that Patricia has been raided. In 2003, a pit bull was seized from her home.

She was convicted of cruelty to animals and banned from owning pets for the rest of her life.

You've took him and now he's not coming back.

Is he going to be put in a home or fucking put down?

-Come in here...

-I AIN'T GOING ANYWHERE!

-Come in here.

-Just leave me alone!

-Just calm down.

-You've done what you fucking wanted to do!

Just leave me alone.

We all appreciate...

I don't care what you appreciate. You've just come to my flat and took my son's dog.

-Yes.

-It's not fucking right! That slag down there can keep her fucking dog!

SHE SOBS

But what you were doing was against the law. That's the trouble.

Just go.

I'll make sure that all the officers

finish what they're doing and we'll make sure you're OK.

You don't have to see if I'm OK.

You've done what you wanted to do.

You've stepped in my flat. You've took my dog. Not my dog, my son's dog.

It's fucking evil!

This is the second time it's happened.

They took Patch. They pinned Patch in that corner.

And now they've come and taken fucking Tyson.

They didn't have to do that to Tyson.

He's gone quite happily with them cos he's a lovely dog.

A lovely dog! A lovely dog that's going to be fucking put down!

No-one's going to re-home him.

He's a lovely dog, yeah. He's nice.

Pssssst! Lethal injection cos of the breed, yeah.

You think I'm stupid but I'm not.

I don't think you're stupid at all. It's not legal and therefore he's had to be taken. Yeah?

SHE GROANS

We've just had a mixture of anger, disappointment, disbelief.

If you read a bit more into those living conditions, you can see that dog doesn't receive

regular exercise.

Dogs of this nature need about two hours a day.

The fact that there was faeces in that flat,

a couple of days old, would imply that the dog, for at least a couple of days,

that dog hasn't had any exercise whatsoever outside that small flat.

There's urine all over the floor.

The dog's got visible sores around its feet.

The dog can't go back to her. I wouldn't advocate the dog being returned,

even if she claims the dog belongs to her son.

But in those living conditions,

I wouldn't advocate the dog being returned to her.

DOG BARKS

Many fighting dogs are the result of cross-breeding between perfectly legal dogs

to create the banned pit bull type.

Come on, little fella.

In order to determine whether a dog is a prohibited type,

there are 58 defining characteristics to look for that relate it to

the classic American pit bull.

Just seen the initial reactions to another dog.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

We will be as friendly as we can when we are examining these dogs

but we don't really want to overdo that friendliness

because the dogs can get too excitable.

And these dogs can reach such a high state of arousal.

That's when they start to bite.

So we'll have to be firm with them and instil discipline into them.

-That's a good lad.

-Stay.

A dog with pit bull type should appear square when viewed from the side.

So we measure from the front of the shoulder back to the point of the hip.

-And that distance should be somewhere near...

-Stay!

-..from the withers to the ground,

which gives them this square appearance in the body.

He's two centimetres out.

He's two centimetres longer than he is high.

But he has got a square.

So he's 52 and 54. So that does give him a square appearance.

If Tony and Keith determine that Tyson is a banned pit bull,

it is very likely the courts will order his destruction.

Shall we see how big your big head is?

You're a big boy!

Good lad.

You can see it as a pit bull across the room.

The reason I take so many measurements

it just assists in presenting your evidence in court.

So you're not just saying it's a pit bull,

you are saying it's a pit bull and here are 50-odd reasons WHY it's a pit bull.

If it is established that a dog is a banned type,

it'll be destroyed unless its owner can prove

that they are responsible and the dog harmless.

Even then the dog must be neutered,

microchipped, tattooed and muzzled in public.

Every now and then, unfortunately, with the current law,

really sociable healthy dogs do get, um, caught up in it.

And there is just nothing you can do. You can't re-home them.

Which is a pity for this little fella.

Cos I think there is a change in the law

it's going to come too late for this one.

He never bit nobody. He was a nice little dog.

He liked playing more than anything. Like normal puppies.

That dog meant everything to me.

He wouldn't hurt a fly.

In November 2009, four-year-old John-Paul Massey became

a victim of a dangerous dog which was a family pet.

Hundreds attended his funeral in Liverpool, just days before Christmas.

BELL TOLLS

John-Paul Massey was killed in the early hours of this morning in Liverpool.

His grandmother was also treated in hospital.

It's thought she was trying to pull the animal off the child.

The dog has been destroyed.

John-Paul had come to stay with me.

We played games all night and we'd had great fun.

Then he got tired then and he spent the night sitting with me

and we laughed and we made arrangements for Christmas.

And then he fell asleep on the settee.

And then he woke up

and he said he was hungry and he wanted some crisps.

I got two bags of crisps - one for him and one for the dog.

And I gave him the crisps

by which time he'd fell back asleep.

And...er...

And then I turned to offer the dog.

And then it all just happened.

Nothing prepares you for that, nothing.

It was like being thrown in some kind of a horror film.

It was a total nightmare.

I was totally unprepared for the strength of the dog.

I grabbed John-Paul and ran out of the room.

And then the dog came out after me.

And attacked me from behind.

It was horrendous.

When police arrived here,

they found the dog in what they described as an agitated state

in the front garden of this house.

And a short time later the decision was made to shoot the animal.

I blame myself entirely.

You know, it was very close to me and was always following me around.

That particular night I didn't... I shooed him away a lot.

I just wanted to spend all my time with John-Paul

and play with John-Paul.

And I honestly believe, you know, it became very jealous.

And I think it was pure jealousy.

So tonight the police investigation is continuing here at the scene.

And of course there are families all round this neighbourhood,

having had to explain to their young children

why one of their school friends has died and what happened.

John-Paul's mother Angela was at a restaurant

when she received the call to tell her her son had died.

That second that you're told, your whole world stops.

You protect them so much - from strangers and the roads

and being run over and falling...

And you just don't think that the demon

was actually living in the house.

Something you've regarded as the family.

Something that they've grown up with, played with, eaten their dinner with.

Lay on the couch with, watched telly with.

And all the time, the demon's in the house.

SHE SNIFFS

I just wake up in the morning and think.... You wake up

the first couple of minutes you forget.

Everything's normal till you look at the side of the bed

and see that he's not there.

You think, why doesn't someone just come and kill me. Put me out my misery.

Why don't I just get run over by a bus.

SHE SNIFFS

The dog that killed John-Paul belonged to his uncle

who was away in the Army.

Both he and John-Paul's grandmother Helen were charged

with owning a banned fighting dog

and sentenced to four months in prison.

Helen's sentence was suspended.

Beyond being kept as family pets,

hundreds of pit-bull type dogs were seized last year from criminals.

People having these dogs as weapons to intimidate and assault others.

People involved in the dealing of drugs,

they can just leave them in a lock-up and the only time

this dog will have any human contact whatsoever

is every couple of days when they come to throw it some food

and make sure it's got some water.

And all that dog's life revolves around guarding a few packages

stuffed in the boot of an old car at the back of a lock-up.

It is 5:00am and the Gang Taskforce

have asked for the Dangerous Dog Unit's help to protect them on a raid.

Their target is a key member of a notorious gang.

We are a team targeting gang members all across Birmingham.

Hence why we are here today.

Also, at the address, there may well be what's described as a vicious dog.

Initially, I want to drive the dog in a corner somewhere, get it out of the way,

just to all you guys entry.

As soon as the door's breached we'll clear out of the way.

My theory is when the dog gets scared he's going to go up the stairs.

-Go! go! go!

-Go! Go!

-Police! stay where you are!

-Stay where you are!

-Stay where you are!

-All right, all right, all right.

-DOG BARKS

-Stay still!

Show me your hands right now. Listen to me, you woman.

Keith has two tackle a vicious dog protecting its owners.

-Off the bed. Off the bed.

-What have we done?

Mate, do as you're told!

Shut up!

Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him, please.

-DOG BARKS AND SNARLS

-Don't hurt him, please.

Do as you're told!

If you move, you're getting shocked, understand?

We don't want anyone to get bitten or anyone to get hurt.

Another snaffle.

-Stay where you are!

-No, no, no! Keep them down there.

Please don't hurt my dog.

Get the pole, Ronnie.

DISTORTED SPEECH

-No, no. He's coming with us.

-Where is he going to go?

DOG STRUGGLES, SHOUTING

We're going all the outside. Sarge, we're going all the way out.

The sooner we get him out the house the sooner we're walking.

OK, pop that other snaffle on him again.

We're going to lift him in the van.

If you go on this side, as soon as you turn, it twists on him.

Nice and gently.

Right, just walk him to the back of the van.

As the captured dog is taken away, his owner is in tears.

They won't be able to deal with my dog.

-They will, they will.

-They won't!

I talked to them there and he'd calmed down.

He will but you won't be able to touch him.

Let me do my job, let the dog handlers in the dog section do there job.

-They're going to put down.

-Don't put him down.

The problem is when you try and contain these animals to secure them, is their panic.

And in a state of panic they can bite anybody.

It is quite distressing for the people whose dog it is.

The fact is we just cannot take the risk of officers or the occupants being bitten by a dog,

especially a dog like that. I mean the damage it would cause would be horrendous.

The reason we are taking him with us is cos those aren't the conditions

for assessing whether a dog's pit bull type or not.

Do us a favour - can you arrest him

on suspicion of possession of a designated fighting dog?

-Yep.

-And in the next 48 hours I'll give you the thumbs or thumbs down.

Do you want me to speak to him?

Yes, can you explain that to him. That would be good.

MAN: I just want my dog back.

What are you going to do with my dog?

-Do you want to speak to me or hear from me?

-Please.

OK, the dog has a number of characteristics

that are of a pit bull type.

-It is not a Staffordshire bull terrier?

-He's a staff.

-I've checked before.

-OK, not a problem. So you won't mind

-having him checked again?

-No problem.

-All right.

A thorough search of the house revealed a quantity of cannabis.

The captured dog is taken to a secret kennel to join other

potentially dangerous dogs

waiting to be examined for pit bull characteristics.

BARKING

Got him. You ain't biting me, mate.

It's always a good behavioural trait when they freeze

and they follow you just with their eyes.

And you can see the whites of their eyes.

That is when you get nailed.

That really is the final point. The next stage of that is bosh.

-Tighten that up slightly.

-Good lad.

Watch your back. Watch yourself, mate. Hang on.

-DOG GROWLS

-Happy with him or do you want another one?

BARKING AND SLAMMING CAGES

Hold him there, hold him. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

These dogs are particularly feared

because they can attack without warning and with great ferocity. It's almost impossible

to stop them once they've started their attack.

BARKING

But not all the dogs here are aggressive.

There are friendly dogs and others who are clearly terrified.

Deciding whether a dog belongs to a banned breed isn't always easy

as so many of them are crossbred.

At this stage I'd be inclined to say

she's more of a Staffy cross than a pit bull-type dog.

An early assessment... It's not my first impression

so if we don't think there's sufficient characteristics

then it should be returned to the owner.

This dog, known as Digby, bit a child after running away.

It's been freed by the courts and Tony is returning it to its owner.

We can only do what the courts ask us to do.

The police can put forward all sorts of recommendations as to how

we feel the dog should be dealt with but unfortunately if the owner of

the dog or the person responsible at the time isn't prosecuted,

then the courts aren't going to issue any conditions on the animal.

In circumstances like that, you just hope really that the dogs are being well looked after

and not going back to an environment where they're going to be mistreated.

And unfortunately I've struggled to get this dog back to the owner.

It's... It's a few excuses along the way

or he's been too busy for one reason or another to have his dog back.

Um... And I've had to even supply a lead and collar now for him.

That's the white house with the skip in the front garden.

-Well, he's a little bit destructive.

-He will be.

Cos when I open the boot, you'll see what he's done to the mat in the car.

He's shredded it, he's torn it to bits.

I think that collar will probably fit.

That's quite a good collar, if you want to pop that on him.

And...there's an old lead.

How long have you not had him for?

For how long it's been? I don't know how long it's been.

-I haven't seen him for ages.

-Let's get him out the back.

We've had him since April and he's... I don't know, how old is the dog?

-He's coming to four now.

-Four, yeah.

-As you can see, he's decided to chew the mat to bits.

-Hello, boy.

-Stay there, I'll just pop this on him.

-Stay.

So we don't have to struggle with a collar.

-If you want to... We'll get him off the road.

-Come here. Stay, come here.

Do you want to pop a collar on him? He's a little bit calmer now.

Perhaps he recognises the area, knows he's back home.

-We called him Digby, what's this correct name?

-X.

OK, take care, take care how you go.

Come here, come here. Mmm? Yes, Daddy's missed you. Yes, I know.

Take you home.

Hopefully, Digby, or X, his correct name, will be happy now

back with his owner.

-Come on then, boy.

-I just hope he doesn't bite any more children.

Not everyone is lucky enough to get their dog back.

Keith has to tell Patricia that she and her son

will not face criminal charges for possession of a banned dog

but the case for its destruction will be put before a court.

-Hello.

-Hello, mate.

-Is your mum in?

-Yeah.

-Can we have a quick word with her?

-She's just on the phone.

-Is she?

OK, we'll wait a second then, all right. Hiya.

What we propose to recommend is it would not be in the public interest

to prosecute you.

What I will propose to do is to take the matter before a district judge

or a bench of magistrates. They will make a decision then.

I'll relay the circumstances of everything to them.

The court will have to address any correspondence to your son.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-(SHOUTS) David?

-What now?

-Come here.

-And turn your stereo...

-No, don't be silly.

-Come here now! Come here.

-No.

-Please do not kick off.

-Give me a reason why I shouldn't.

-No, no, no, listen. Don't kick off.

-No, no, give me a reason why not.

-No, listen, I've just asked...

-Give me a reason why I shouldn't.

-They took my dog, then they come here and...

-Listen to me without shouting your mouth off, right?

-Are you listening?

-No.

If it goes to court, right,

cos I told them the dog's not mine, it was yours.

Yeah, he was mine.

If it goes to court and you can't make it, I will go on your behalf.

-I don't care, he's my dog.

-You're missing the point. I'll talk to you after, go in.

-Fucking... My dog...

-See how he kicked off now? It'll kick off in court, that's what I don't want him to do.

-OK.

HE SHOUTS BEHIND DOOR Sh-sh-sh.

I'll speak to the court. Um...

SHOUTING CONTINUES Shh!

Hopefully they don't have to summon people to attend court

and then you can attend instead.

-OK then.

-And it'll probably be...Wolverhampton Court.

I was going to ask a simple question.

Before you came I was going to get him to the vets about his feet.

-Cos he had blisters between his feet.

-He's been seen by the vets.

-Is everything OK?

-Yeah, he's fine.

-Have his feet cleared up?

-Yep.

-Yes!

When he sees the letters and the content of the letter,

will he appreciate what it means when he reads it?

-I'll have to get somebody to read it for him.

-Right, OK.

Because we're both...eurgh! He'll go, "Pwah, get out." We're both dyslexic.

Under this application...

-EMERGING FROM DOOR:

-That's the reason I'm doing nothing to do with Tyson,

Tyson not going to no-one.

I'm getting out of here, and getting that dog back.

OK, OK, OK.

-..is that... He needs to understand he's not in trouble.

-Yeah.

-If you get what I mean.

-He can't...

-He can't kick off for stupid little things.

No, when I say he's not in trouble, he won't get a fine,

he won't into trouble with the magistrates,

-it's purely to deal with the dog.

-Yeah, no punishment.

-Thank you anyhow.

-OK, you take care now. All the best.

Patricia's situation is complicated by her conviction for cruelty to animals.

This leaves fewer legal options.

She's banned from having animals so the dog can't go back to her.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act,

you can't change ownership of a pit bull-type dog.

So the only option available to us is to request destruction of the dog.

Which is a great shame and as far as I' concerned,

is one of the major flaws of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

We find ourselves in a position where perfectly sociable dogs,

they can't be re-homed.

There's been another tip-off,

this time about a vicious dog which has been seen trying to escape from a garden.

Just watch these kids here.

BARKING AND SIRENS

Good morning.

We've got a warrant from Birmingham Magistrates to look for a dangerous dog.

-Just move out of the way.

-You what? My dog?

-Hold on a minute, hold on.

-Open the door.

-Hold on a minute.

Madam, just go inside.

-Hold on!

-No, no.

-What do you mean, about my dog?

-Go inside, please.

-Hold on.

-Where's your dog?

-Do you want to have a look?

-SOUND BECOMES MUFFLED Hold on.

-Just stay here a sec.

-No problem.

-Hold on.

-Where's your dog?

-Just want to have a look, that's all, darling.

-Hold on a minute.

-Where's your dog?

-In the garden.

-That's fine. Calm yourself down.

-Somebody reported this dog?

What it is, we've got a warrant where we suspect it may be

a prohibited dog so we need a quick look.

-What do you mean?

-A dangerous dog.

-No, it's not a dangerous dog.

-No need to shout.

-No, it's not. My dog...

-We need access.

My dog is a family pet, right? You've woke me up out of my bed

and all of you lot come into my house like this.

-OK, well, we're just doing what...

-This is disgraceful, man.

The dog, at this moment in time,

I suspect the dog of being a pit bull-type.

Now, we will need to seize the dog today to have a better look at him.

Hold on a minute, hold on a minute.

Well, no, you've got no say in the matter.

We have a warrant and the power to do it.

All that will happen is if we seize the dog today,

we'll have a better look at him.

-If we don't think he substantially conforms to pit bull-type...

-It's not a he, it's a she.

-OK, she.

Then you'll have the dog back. What's your dog's name?

It's not my dog, it belongs to my daughter actually.

She left the dog here, I look after that one.

She's had that dog since it was nine weeks old, ten weeks old.

That dog has never troubled anybody, yeah?

It was a different case with my granddaughter

and she got bitten by a dog, and what was done about it?

My granddaughter nearly lost the use of her arm through it.

-Sarge, can move the lady?

-Yes, move the lady out the way.

That dog is not a bad dog, it's not going to go with you.

That's dog only knows me and my kids.

-Do you want her out on a snaffle, or are you happy?

-She seems happy enough.

-Come on. Come on, there's a good girl.

-Watch yourself.

-No, I know, I know.

-She'll have no association with that lead at all.

Never been walked.

-Come on.

-We don't want to use the pole if we don't have to.

-Come on then, come on then.

-Come on. Sweetheart, come on.

-Good girl.

-No, it's OK.

-DOG WHIMPERS AND YELPS

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch yourself, watch yourself.

-Watch yourself.

-Be steady, be steady. Be steady. Sit, sit. Sit.

-Be steady, be steady.

-Just hold her still, Tone.

-Sit, sit.

-Have you got her now?

-Yeah, I just wanted to...

-Right, calm her.

-Good girl, come on.

-Have you got her?

-Stay there.

-Good girl, good girl. Steady, now.

-Come on then, come on then. Come on then.

-Oh, God. Look what I'm stood in.

Jesus, it's all covered in shit. This excrement is, like, days old.

-Ooof!

-I tell you what, she's a strong girl.

Just careful. If she twists, I've got to twist with her, don't forget.

Come on now, be steady.

-It's purely fear, this is.

-Yeah. Good girl, come here.

-No, don't get near her.

-She's never been walked, mate.

-DISTRESSED GROWL

-Come on, come on.

GROWLING CONTINUES

-Good girl, there's a good girl.

-Jesus.

I arrest you on suspicion of possessing a fighting dog.

It may harm your defence if you don't mention something you later rely on.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?

That's your prompt to investigate the offence.

OK, we'll go to the station now.

Get your evidence on tape and then that'll be...

Give you a bail officer, we can examine the dog.

All right? Do you understand that?

SHE REMAINS SILENT

Follow that officer down there, please.

Oh, where's my bus pass, man?

Follow me.

They're not providing suitable conditions for the dog to live in.

We'll get that dog to kennels now.

You see the problem we have now. If it's typed and it goes through the courts,

would you allow this type of dog to come back to this premises?

Because the conditions they're keeping the dog in. It's not good.

Just go over to the Sergeant, please.

I'm only here to look after you and make sure you're treated fairly.

Have you been arrested before? Born in Birmingham?

Do you work?

-Ever tried to harm yourself, had suicidal thoughts or depression?

-No.

-Mental health and learning difficulties?

-No.

Can you read and write?

MUMBLING

-Are you an alcoholic?

-No.

-Do you use any illegal drugs?

-No.

Anything else about your welfare we need to be aware of so I can look after you?

-Do you have any questions at all?

-No.

I think the officers are ready to interview you.

The woman is not charged with any criminal offence,

but her dog is impounded and may be destroyed.

The team battle on and this time

they're acting on intelligence that there are banned dogs

guarding a house from which drugs are being dealt.

BANGING

Police!

-Stay still!

-Straight to the top.

-Where's the dog?

-He's gone.

-Downstairs!

-What the...?

-Mate, stop struggling.

-Stop struggling! Get down!

-Your knee's on my hands!

You fucking... Your knee's on my hands!

Your knee is on my flipping hand!

What's happened?

All will be explained shortly.

-We've got a warrant for this address.

-So? I ain't an address!

I ain't no address!

But we dictate what's going on in this property, OK?

We'll search you, search this house.

Depending on what we find is dependant on who's arrested,

who we take away, who we interview, etcetera, OK?

It's going to be fine, I think.

Once we win him over.

You haven't got much of a playground here, have you?

Have you? No, you haven't. Come on, sweetheart.

The pit-bull type dog at the property seems scared.

What people don't realise is that these dogs

have got very thin coats.

We're approaching winter now. This dog would have been outside,

virtually no fat on its body whatsoever,

hardly any coat.

This dog would really suffer over the winter months.

They're just not built for this.

You'd be absolutely freezing, wouldn't you?

Sarge, I'm searching the room.

We've found what we believe to be a quantity of herbal cannabis

inside the electric meter. As you can see...

-Quite dry, isn't it?

-Quite dry there.

-Doesn't smell very strong however.

-Lovely.

OK, fantastic. Just careful with the electric.

Do you want to tip out all that stuff in there,

-just have a good look?

-Yeah, course I will.

Through the back, mate. Through the back.

Come here, sweetheart. I don't think you've ever been in a car.

Come on. Up, up. Come on, sweetheart.

There's a small puppy found

that's been living in disturbing conditions.

When you gather evidence for a prosecution like this, you can't...

No matter what videoing or photographing you do,

you can't pick up things like the smell

that is emanating from this room.

You've got to be well-documented.

Whereas a photograph speaks a thousand words

for things like faeces etcetera, the smell is just...

You couldn't explain it to people.

It's disgusting.

Is there any fish in that?

Bags with a little bit of residue.

Cannabis in there.

In addition to the large bag of cannabis found downstairs,

officers discover packaged wraps of crack cocaine.

OK, I'm arresting you for possession of Class A crack cocaine

and possession of Class B cannabis, OK?

Crack cocaine?! Where's the crack cocaine?

It may harm your defence if you don't mention something

you may rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

Do you want to arrest him also on suspicion

of causing unnecessary suffering

under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act?

Patricia's son's hearing for possession of a pitbull is today.

She's going to attend on his behalf.

SHE SIGHS

Why are they going to put a dog down if it hasn't bit anybody?

You put a dog down if it bites somebody, but he hasn't bit nobody.

He stays in this flat and that's it.

He stayed here and I took him out at night-time.

So at the end of the day, he shouldn't really be put down.

He should either be re-homed or whatever,

but they shouldn't put him down.

Don't know why they should put him down.

I just hope and pray I don't get a fine

because I can't afford to pay it.

That'll be two things I'll have to pay then.

My rent and the fine of the dog.

SHE SIGHS

We taught him how the dog is treated.

If the dog's treated properly, then it won't turn nasty.

If a dog's treated evil, then yes they can turn nasty.

Any dog'll go nasty. Rottweiler, Pit, Staff, any dog.

Doesn't matter what dogs they are, they could turn nasty.

-How is he anyway?

-Sorry?

-How is he?

The dog's fine, absolutely fine.

-Woof-Woof. How is Mr Woof-Woof, as I call him?

-Absolutely fine.

-Good.

-What I'll do now is I'll just pop in there and have a chat.

-It'll be dealt with as quickly as possible.

-Yeah.

-Right.

The judge delivers his verdict in just ten minutes.

They're putting him down.

I can't have him back. They're destroying him.

-You all right?

-No. They're putting my dog down.

He was only a puppy. He was only three months old.

He was the most friendliest frigging dog out.

DOGS WHINING

Once dogs are condemned, they're dispatched promptly.

Many, like this one, will never have been guilty of attacks.

This is the worst part of this job really.

The owners aren't suitable for them to go back to,

current legislation says they can't be re-homed,

so unfortunately when the case is finalised at court,

the only option is for the court to order destruction.

That's what we're carrying out today.

-It's all right, sweetheart.

-I've got her.

It's all right, I've got her.

First, they're given a very strong sedative.

Once they're sufficiently calm, they're carried into surgery

and given a lethal injection.

Hundreds of dogs deemed illegal are killed every year,

but the number of attacks continues to rise.

This raises questions over the effectiveness of the law.

It's meant to be protecting public safety

and ensuring animal welfare.

You've got to ask yourself if it's doing either in its current form.

Today is the second anniversary of John Paul Massey's death.

His mother Angela and his uncle Christian,

who owned the dog that killed him, are commemorating the day.

After the fatal attack, Christian lost his job in the army

and was hounded by the media.

-I love you so much, you know.

-All right, shut up.

'I just don't think it's fair

'the way Christian was vilified.'

It's destroyed him

and absolutely devastated him.

'He's had to learn to deal with that

'and I think he's dealt with it very, very well..'

In a very mature...

..grown-up manner.

I'll never change people's perception

or opinion of what happened.

Never will.

Never can, never will.

Even now, it's all so surreal.

Nobody thought it was going to happen.

Or perceive that it could happen.

And I don't think anybody in their right mind

would have put anybody in their family in that situation.

It's as if someone pulls a rug from underneath your life

You know, your life's over and never the same again.

Everything you knew.

Everything... Oh, it's just gone.

SHE SOBS

The only thing I would say is...

People need to understand

and realise...

..that anything can happen

that could ruin people's lives.

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