Merseyside Police powerless to take action after an American bulldog killed another dog in Wirral

Dec 5 2009 by Luke Traynor, Liverpool Echo

Merseyside police 60

A FAMILY whose Yorkshire terrier was killed by an American bulldog were told police were powerless to take action.

Margaret Neish, 51, was walking pet Max in Leasowe, Wirral, when it was set upon by a much larger dog.

Both animals were with their owners and on leads when the attack happened on Ditton Lane, in September.

The bulldog ripped Max apart, leaving him with a catalogue of injuries including broken ribs and a damaged spleen.

Around 90 minutes of emergency surgery at a vets practice was unable to save its life.

The incident was reported to police, but officers have informed devastated owner Louise Reece-Jones that no criminal act was committed.

Today, the 31-year-old said: “The dog should have been put down, it was clearly out of control, whether on a lead or not.

“I know it’s not a banned dog, but it’s an aggressive breed and the law has really let us down. My four children are absolutely distraught.”

Many readers have contacted the ECHO with similar stories of dog attacks since the tragic death of John Paul Massey, in Wavertree.

The four-year-old was mauled to death by his uncle’s banned pitbull as he stayed overnight at his gran’s home in Ash Grove on Monday night.