THE sentencing to death of a dog whose owner ordered it to attack a shop assistant has led to a wave of condemnation from Derby Telegraph readers.
Messages of support for Tia have come as confusion reigns over who can appeal against its destruction order.
Jobless Jessiah Johnson told his terrier, Tia, to bite the assistant at a store in St Thomas Road, Derby, in November last year.
Magistrates gave the defendant a suspended sentence for the attack, but ordered the destruction of the dog, described in court as a "pit bull or Staffordshire" breed.
Now the owner, who has legal ownership of the dog, and therefore the right to appeal against the order, is in doubt as Johnson's solicitor has told the Derby Telegraph that his client signed away ownership of his pet after the incident in November last year.
Asif Munir, who was appearing for Johnson, said yesterday that, after that time, Tia was in police kennels but that it was not clear to him who owned it now.
The destruction order for the dog was issued by magistrates on Wednesday, September 10, and allowed 21 calendar days for appeal.
That means that, despite public anger, Tia's time appears to be up on Wednesday.
The shop assistant needed hospital treatment for the thigh injury – with the dog hanging on for just under a minute before Johnson's girlfriend called it off, magistrates heard.
There has been a wave of condemnation for Tia's death sentence on the Derby Telegraph's website.
One reader, going under the handle burningfrenzy said: "It's the owner who should be punished not the dog. Stupid courts."
And Novali said: "So the innocent dog, who was forced to do this, is being killed and the real culprit gets freedom without even a ban on pet ownership?"
But Derby400 said he thought the dog should be put down as it has bitten twice.
Solicitor Julian Young, senior partner at Julian Young & Co Solicitors, said that an animal which can cause death or serious injury needed to be carefully controlled.
He said: "If it is out of control and causes death or serious injury it should be destroyed.
"The owner can face imprisonment, especially if the dog is used as a weapon, and they can often be banned from keeping animals.
"Until relatively recently this wasn't a major problem, but some people now think that keeping an aggressive animal as a pet is appropriate."
The court was told Tia also bit a police officer who searched Johnson in Hastings Street, Derby, on October 14. The officer was bit in the thigh.
Sixteen weeks' custody, suspended for two years, was imposed on Johnson, 22, of Portland Street, Derby. Johnson denied setting the dog on the worker but was convicted after a trial of having a dangerous dog out of control.
He admitted obstructing police and two counts of threatening behaviour. Johnson was ordered to pay £150 compensation to the shop worker and the police officer.
