Derbyshire pet owner's joy after death row dog is spared

Chesterfield magistrates’ court was told Paul Taylor, 54, of Station Road, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, had been trying to break up a dispute between two women when his dog Taz shot out of his flat and attacked one of them.

But after Mr Taylor’s defence solicitor Julie Page applied for a behavioural analysis of Taz the court agreed on Thursday, January 21, to spare the five-year-old dog providing it is kept under control with a lead outside of home and wears a muzzle in public places.

Mr Taylor said: “I love Taz and he’s my best friend and I had been absolutely dreading that they were going to put him down.

“But there was a fantastic behavioural report with a series of tests including putting things in Taz’s mouth, putting your face close to his and testing his temperament and he sailed through them all with flying colours.

“The amount of people who have been supporting me has been amazing. It’s been unbelievable”

The court previously heard how Sherrie Saunders had been arguing with another female resident outside Mr Taylor’s flat and when he opened his door to separate the two fighting women Taz bit Ms Saunders’ right leg.

She suffered lacerations and her calf muscle was shredded after the incident in August, last year, according to the court.

Police placed Taz in kennels and the CPS applied for the dog to be destroyed.

Mr Taylor admitted being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog that caused an injury at a hearing in December, last year.

He was given a nine-month community order with a three week curfew and was ordered to pay £500 compensation, £85 costs and a £180 courts charge.

Taz has now been in secure kennels for about seven months and Mr Taylor is desperate to be reunited with his pet after the court agreed not to have the dog destroyed.

He said: “The police haven’t given me Taz back yet. When the case was running I had to urge the police to deal with it as fast as possible because he had been in the kennels for too long.

“I have been through hell and that dog has too. Seven months is a big chunk of his life and I just want him back. It’s heart breaking.”

Derbyshire Constabulary stated that it has only recently received the relevant paperwork and checks will be carried within days to ensure Mr Taylor has a lead and muzzle before Taz can be released.