Anger at irresponsible dog owners after attack on donkey in Immingham
A FAMILY have called for dog owners to keep pets on leads after an elderly beach donkey was attacked.
Twenty-eight-year-old Mickey was bitten on the face by a Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog while he was resting in a field in Immingham.
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Ellie Hickson with Mickey the Donkey who was attacked by a dog in a field in Immingham. Picture: Jon Corken
It is thought the dog was one of three which went into the field from Homestead Park.
The attack caused Mickey to employ a donkey's natural defence tactic – lowering his head and charging.
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Ellie Hickson, 12, cares for Mickey and his pal Murphy when they are resting after a summer in Cleethorpes.
The Oasis Immingham Academy student said: "We heard the donkeys screaming at about 8pm and I saw a dog run off.
"It wasn't until the morning that we saw Mickey had blood on his face.
"They wait for me every day after school. Mickey is the boss and looks after Murphy."
The family were put in charge of the donkeys' care after their owner, Mike Wade, appealed in the Telegraph for winter grazing land.
Ellie's mum Hayley Cowen came forward and has also called for dog owners to ensure their pets are trained properly.
She said: "The donkeys were fine before with our two dogs, but now they are wary.
"A couple of days later, a dog killed two of our chickens, injured another and hurt one of our ducks.
"It makes me angry that irresponsible owners let their dogs loose into our private property."
The donkeys will return to Cleethorpes at Easter, and it is Mickey's last year before retirement.
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: "Two men and a woman were walking three dogs in Homestead Park when the dogs got into a field where the donkeys were situated.
"It is alleged the dogs attacked the donkeys and one sustained facial injuries.
"Local neighbourhood officers have made attempts to locate the owner of the dogs and attempts will continue to do so."
A spokeswoman for the Grimsby branch of the Blue Cross Animal Hospital also had tips for dog owners.
She said: "Try to socialise and train your dog with donkeys/horses from an early age, so they are not a scary or exciting thing to come across.
"Ensure you have your dog under close control and have a reliable recall through training. If you do not have a sound recall, please keep your dog on a lead."
15 Comments
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by Nesmitt
Wednesday, April 03 2013, 5:28PM
“@s*****owner, if i should keep the comments to myself about my cat then are you saying the girl in the picture and her family should have kept their story to themselves!! Am I not allowed to pay respects to my poor cat who was unlawfully killed!! and as for so called "witchunts" people are targeted for neglecting their animals, nothing was said about neglect just irresponsibility. It doesnt matter what breed or type of dog it is, there are no such things as bad dogs just bad owners who fail to ensure their dogs cannot cause fear or harm to other people or animals. i feel sick that some sick people dont care for their animals enough to make sure they cant get into other peoples property and attack animals. My old neighbour had a lovely s***** who got on brilliantly with my cats. I have nothing against the dogs, just the irresponsible owners.”
by Nesmitt
Wednesday, April 03 2013, 5:28PM
“@s*****owner, if i should keep the comments to myself about my cat then are you saying the girl in the picture and her family should have kept their story to themselves!! Am I not allowed to pay respects to my poor cat who was unlawfully killed!! and as for so called "witchunts" people are targeted for neglecting their animals, nothing was said about neglect just irresponsibility. It doesnt matter what breed or type of dog it is, there are no such things as bad dogs just bad owners who fail to ensure their dogs cannot cause fear or harm to other people or animals. i feel sick that some sick people dont care for their animals enough to make sure they cant get into other peoples property and attack animals. My old neighbour had a lovely s***** who got on brilliantly with my cats. I have nothing against the dogs, just the irresponsible owners.”
by staffyowner
Monday, April 01 2013, 12:49AM
“all these comments make me so sick, not all staffies are nasty, i believe they are beautiful, loyal dogs that your are all cursing, and to @Nesmitt i don't think your comment is fair, you should not be broadcasting your personal stuff on here about your cat, at the end of the day look at how easily witch hunts start '95 stanley street' and the person to say something ended up in jail don't think the way you posted it was 100% sensible. next time think about what you are putting before typing it, and to the rest of you... before *****ing about staffies, think about all the other dogs that are nasty, i've seen nasty jack russels and westies etc. Think people need to start keeping comments to themselves.”
by Nesmitt
Sunday, March 10 2013, 3:14PM
“On Monday 4th March around 9.30pm I had to watch in horror as a Staffordshire bull terrier mauled my cat to death in my own back garden. I was and still am devestated! The owner lives a few doors up and had no sympathy. The staffordshire bull terrier is one of three dogs and the owners are 2 men and I think a woman may live there too. I am wondering if it could be the same dog as I also live in Immingham. It is appauling that a dog can come into my garden, kill my cat and there is nothing that the police will do about it. Nesmitt was an amazing cat, he was so loving and friendly and was like a child to me, nothing will ever be able to replace him and his amazing personality. R.I.P Nesmitt”
by Nesmitt
Sunday, March 10 2013, 3:08PM
“On Monday 4th March around 9.30pm I had to watch in horror as a S***** mauled my cat to death in my own back garden. I was and still am devestated! The owner lives a few doors up and had no sympathy. The s***** is one of three dogs and the owners are 2 men and I think a woman may live there too. I am wondering if it could be the same dog as I also live in Immingham. It is appauling that a dog can come into my garden, kill my cat and there is nothing that the police will do about it. Nesmitt was an amazing cat, he was so loving and friendly and was like a child to me, nothing will ever be able to replace him and his amazing personality. R.I.P Nesmitt”
by Leveret2
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:01PM
“Bitten on the face ? Poor old fella. It's annoying when they sniff your c0ck, even ... let alone bite your face. "It's alright, he only wants to be friendly". Grrr! Words fail me.
Poor old Mickey, though. He shouldn't have to fight for his human rights, not at his age. Oh, but (I was forgetting)... as a Cleethorpes nightingale he hasn't got any, has he ?”
by Montgomery
Friday, March 08 2013, 7:12PM
“Eliminate this aggressive breed, I steer my two dogs away from Staffordshire bull terriers every time I see them. These terriers are just that, terriers, also dumb and dangerous like their owners.”
by MrObjective
Friday, March 08 2013, 2:15PM
“I'm a dog owner and wouldn't dream of taking my dogs out in public without a lead, they are well behaved, well trained dogs, but I'm not stupid, I know that's no guarantee that a dog won't behave in a totally unexpected way.
We are dealing with a whole range of problems here - people who are too lazy to walk long distances with the dog on the lead, so just let the off to exercise themselves - people who don't have control of their dogs in public - people who just don't train their dogs full stop .
Notice that all these things come down to the OWNER, not the dog.
All it takes is people having a bit of respect and taking the time to make sure their dog is properly behaved in public and, not doing things themselves that are antisocial (not cleaning up mess etc). But expecting people to have that kind of respect these days, is like expecting to find blood in a stone.”
by Corrina1971
Friday, March 08 2013, 1:43PM
“It's right that this family are enraged. The dog owners should have had their dogs on leads. If their dogs cannot be trusted around other animals, they need to be on a lead around them. Maybe they haven't walked their dogs there before-but that's even more reason to be cautious. It's down to the owners to know how their dogs will behave, and to know how to control them. Because once again the Staffie is getting bad press because of the owner.”
by 4caster
Friday, March 08 2013, 1:35PM
“This dog was not only unleashed and unmuzzled: it was on someone else's private land. Either it was taken to that field where it was set free, or it had reached the field unrestrained. Either way the person in charge of the dog was breaking the law. If it was attacking sheep instead of a donkey it could have been shot on sight.
Unfortunately dog crime is no longer a police matter, but one for the local authority. I hope they find the "human" who had charge of it, to convict him or her severely. But I don't think they'll really try.”