Owner of unmuzzled bull terrier ran from garda when quizzed at protest
The judge said he was not saying the dog in question was dangerous but that there was a lot of publicity relating to such animals being dangerous.
The owner of Staffordshire Bull Terrier who stood in a crowd of protesters with his dog without a muzzle or the required collar ran from a garda who asked him for his address.
At Cork District Court on Tuesday, 41-year-old David Crean of 1 Meadow Drive, The Meadows, Hollyhill, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of resisting arrest by Garda Gheorghe Rosu and two counts under the Control of Dogs Act 1986.
Sergeant Gearóid Davis said: “On September 17 2022 at 3.30pm during a protest on Grand Parade, Garda Rosu observed a person standing in the crowd, now known to him as David Crean, in possession of a dog.
“Garda Rosu recognised the breed of dog as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is a controlled breed under the Control of Dogs Act 1986.
“The dog was an adult size, black in colour, and wasn’t wearing a collar. Mr Crean confirmed that the dog belonged to him.
“Asked if he was aware that such a breed of dog had to be muzzled while in public and required an ID tag on the collar with the owner’s name and address, he replied that the muzzle was in his car.
“He failed to provide his address despite multiple requests. When Garda Rosu proceeded to arrest him he ran away and was arrested a short distance away.”
Crean pleaded guilty to not having the dog securely muzzled, failing to have a collar on the dog with the owner’s name and address, and resisting the guard.
Judge Alec Gabbett fined him €200 in respect of the muzzle and took the collar charge into consideration.
Regarding the resisting of the guard, the judge said: “I don’t know what was happening there.” And he also took that charge into consideration.
Judge Gabbett clarified the issue of the dog not having a collar. Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said that it was not correct that the dog had no collar. He said the dog had a lead and a collar but that the collar did not contain all of the information required under the Control of Dogs Act. He said the dog now had the correct collar and was also mainly “an indoor dog”.
Judge Gabbett said: “I am very conscious at the moment of the huge amount of publicity relating to such dogs. Unfortunately, terrible injuries can arise. They can be dangerous. I am not saying this dog in particular is dangerous.”
