Anti-Social Behaviour Orders are not just reserved for teenagers and old people who have their televisions too loud. In January
this year Charlie the cockerel from Shropshire was issued with an ASBO when his early morning calls disrupted neighbours’ sleep.
The latest member of the animal kingdom to be threatened with an ASBO is Bodhi, a skateboarding Lakeland Terrier from Brighton.
Brighten Council issued Bodhi’s owner Jonathon Fell with an £80 fine for not having his pet on a lead after the freewheeling mutt knocked over a pedestrian, injuring her. The Mail Onlinedescribed the council as “kill joy”.* Apparently leaving scattered pedestrians in his wake is all light-hearted fun and games if it is a small dog causing the issue and not a teenage boy.
Mr Fell told the Mail’s totally unbiased reporter:
“Bodhi is always under control. He loves skateboarding and is not a criminal. It’s something that makes people laugh. I never trained him to skateboard it’s just what he loves to do.”
The comment is situated directly below the photograph of a woman face down in the middle of the road having been hit by the amusing scoundrel.
In a frightening coincidence Graham, our man on the ground is actually based in Brighton. He had a number of deep and meaningful insights on the subject.
“Dogs have more legs than skateboards and less wheels…” He then scratched his head thoughtfully and added.
Animal Welfare page on the Brighton & Hove website contain the following relating to Dogs:
The Dogs on Leads (Brighton and Hove) Order 2009
3.(1) A person in charge of a dog shall be guilty of an offence if at any time on any land to which this Order applies he does not keep the dog on a lead, unless— (a) he has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so;
Animal Welfare Act 2006
It makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met.
Including
5. To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
“Now I think that putting a dog on a lead and pushing it off down the road on a skateboard would very likely cause pain, injury and suffering (probably not disease unless it was a very dirty collar). Therefore this would be in contravention to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and would be regarded as a reasonable excuse for not having it on a lead!”
*You can read the Mail’s full report here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385958/Wheels-come-skateboarding-terriers-antics-owner-fined-having-lead.html#ixzz1M9k7BSFs
