Decision to destroy 'aggressive' dog in Hartlepool not taken lightly - say police

Police say the decision to destroy a dog which was left abandoned and tied to a telegraph pole in Hartlepool was not taken lightly.
Police trying to trace owner of this dog.Police trying to trace owner of this dog.
Police trying to trace owner of this dog.

Officers responded to a report from Hartlepool Borough Council of a distressed German Shepherd tied to a pole on Mainsforth Terrace in the town at 10.07am this morning.

The animal, which is rumoured to have been there all night, was described as aggressive.

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Police say despite hours of working together with partner agencies including the RSPCA, a re-homing charity and consultation with numerous veterinary professionals in order to calm the dog, the difficult decision was made to destroy it.

They said the dog became increasingly aggressive as time went on and numerous attempts were made to find the owner, however, they were unsuccessful.

A Cleveland Police spokesperson, said: "The decision to destroy the dog has not been taken lightly and this was the very last course of action that we wanted to take.

"All attempts to calm the dog failed. Vets advised that they were unable to sedate the dog due to not being able to approach it and not having equipment to sedate from a distance.

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"Unfortunately veterinary professionals advised that the dog could not be re-homed due to its aggressive behaviour.

"The decision taken, in conjunction with the RSPCA and veterinary professionals, was that the kindest thing to do for the dog would be to destroy it. This has been a difficult decision and one that we had hoped we wouldn't have to make."