Owner who faced putting his dog down reunited after raising £2.5k

Owner of Jack Russell which bit a toddler, family friend and others dogs is spared having to put his pet down after raising up to £2,500 for animal behavioural therapy

• Colin Greaves raised £2,500 to save his dog from possible death sentence 
• The 53-year-old’s Jack Russell terrier Geddy bit the nose of toddler, 3, in May
• The pet was able to return home on condition it attends behavioral therapy

A dog lover has been reunited with his Jack Russell terrier after it was confiscated by police and potentially faced a death sentence for biting a three-year-old boy.

Colin Greaves, 53, faced having to have six-year-old pooch Geddy put down after it bit a toddler on the nose at a family friend’s house in May.

Police confiscated the dog and it later emerged Geddy had already bitten a family friend, other dogs and Greaves himself.

The pet had previously been muzzled and had already attended behavioural classes.

But the former trucker crowdfunded £2,475 fees to pay for an animal behavioural therapist and lawyers while Geddy was kept in kennels for six months pending a trial.

A contingent destruction order has now been given, meaning the dog must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.

A condition of the dog’s return was that he undergoes three classes in dog behaviour management and is kept separate when he has visitors at his home in Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire.

Colin Greaves was reunited with Geddy, his Jack Russell terrier, after the pet was confiscated by police for biting a three-year-old boy

Geddy had already bitten a family friend, other dogs and his owner 

A condition of the dog’s return was that he undergoes three classes in dog behaviour management and is kept separate when he has visitors at his home 

At Sefton magistrates’ court, Greaves was ordered to pay the unnamed boy £100 compensation after he admitted having a dog dangerous out of control.

After the case he described the matter as a ‘ridiculous mess’ whilst pictures subsequently shared on social media showed him back with his beloved pet.

The incident occurred on May 25 this year after the boy and his mother popped round to see relatives when Greaves and Geddy were also present in the house.

The mother said in a statement: ‘I was on the phone in the kitchen when at around 3.15pm I heard a horrendous sound from the living room. I saw that my son was sitting on Colin’s knee with blood everywhere.

‘There were lots of arguments between me and Colin who was being very defensive of the dog. We received a phone call from the police asking what happened but was Colin was saying, “It’s my dog and you will have to go through me to get my dog”.’

Defence solicitor Steve Langton said in mitigation: ‘He accepts that he should have taken greater responsibility for when the boy was there. My instructions are that the circumstances have been exaggerated. Police have no issues with the dog’s general behaviour.’

Greaves had sought the help of the campaign group which was set up by the owners of a pit bull dog called Rocky that was seized by police in 2017 under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (DDA) but later declared exempt

A court order means that Geddy must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public from now

Mr Langton said that there had been ‘very minor’ incidents in the past with the dog, with the dog nipping his hand when he had tried to cuddle it when it was asleep which resulted in scratches and not bites.

‘However, he accepts that greater care needs to be taken when there’s a child in the house,’ the solicitor said, ‘The child did not require any further treatment. The marks were clear in a week or two.’

Greaves was fined £120 and was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge of £154. 

Greaves had sought the help of the campaign group Rocky’s Army BSL and DDA which was set up by the owners of a pit bull dog called Rocky that was seized by police in 2017 under the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (DDA) but later declared exempt.

The site provides online support to dog lovers whose pets have been seized by police.

In a statement on Facebook, he said: ‘Finally, after six months in police custody. My best mate Geddy is being released back to me. Massive thanks for all the help in sorting this ridiculous mess out and massive thanks for your incredible support.’

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