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Prosecute errant dog owners

Justice minister charges St Ann police to take action in dog bite cases

Published:Monday | July 19, 2021 | 12:06 AMCarl Gilchrist /Gleaner Writer
Delroy Chuck, Minister of Justice
Delroy Chuck, Minister of Justice
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is pushing to have the police prosecute dog owners whose pets have bitten members of the public
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is pushing to have the police prosecute dog owners whose pets have bitten members of the public
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Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is pushing to have the police prosecute dog owners whose pets have bitten members of the public, and has tasked acting Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, commandant for St Ann, with the responsibility. In June,...

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is pushing to have the police prosecute dog owners whose pets have bitten members of the public, and has tasked acting Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, commandant for St Ann, with the responsibility.

In June, Chuck had urged the St Ann police to prosecute the owner of two pit bulls who, on the 12th, attacked and severely bite a 61-year-old woman as she walked along the road in Eltham in the parish.

Chuck again brought up the issue last Thursday as he spoke at the commissioning ceremony for 43 justices of the peace, where he not only brought an official copy of the Dogs (Liability of Attacks) Act 2020 for Powell, but also asked him to visit the court the following day to get a court order to have the dogs euthanised.

“The last three really outrageous dog attacks occurred here in St Ann,” Chuck noted.

“One was a (five-year-old) youngster (Mikele Allen) who was mauled; and a 61-year-old lady going about her business, attacked by dogs and bitten several times; and only this week a security guard going about his business attacked again by dogs,” he added.

Addressing Powell, who was also at the function, Chuck said: “So Senior Supt, I have brought the act, I know you have one but I am bringing you a copy of the official one signed by the GG (Governor General) that says you must now ensure that these owners are prosecuted.

THERE MUST BE ACTION

“And I know the owner may say, but I was not at fault, I was at work when somebody leave the gate open. That’s too bad; because the report I’m getting even of the 61-year-old is that, apparently, the gate malfunctioned. The truth of the matter , someone got hurt and when someone gets hurt, there must be correction.”

Chuck said the dogs are yet to be put down as the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) needs a court order to euthanise them. One of the ferocious animals has even bitten one of the handlers at the association, he informed.

“Over the past week, Miss Pamela Lawson (managing director JSPCA) said she is going to send back the dogs because she doesn’t know what to do with them. They are dangerous dogs; they’ve bitten one of the handlers; they can’t seem to be properly controlled.”

Chuck read Section 9 of the Act which states: “In addition to any penalty that a court may impose upon conviction under Section A, the court may order that the dog be humanely euthanised by a veterinary surgeon at the expense of the owner of the dog and in such manner as shall be specified in the order.”

He added: “So I brought this Supt to ask you to go to court tomorrow not later than tomorrow, because Mrs Lawson at JSPCA has had them for five weeks and she wants the order of the court to euthanise the dogs because I asked her for a report and she sent me the report, which you’ll get shortly Supt to say one of the dogs (known as Castro) just can’t be controlled. The longer they remain there the greater likelihood her staff will be injured.”

Under the act, dog owners who are found criminally liable may be fined up to $3 million.