Worthing couple supported by MP after dog attack as letter sent to Minister for Animal Welfare

Carol Maidment, 77, and her husband, Mike, 82 – from Findon – adopted a Jack Russell Terrier, named Barney in September, from a rescue home out of the area.

Within two months of taking the pet home, Mike – who uses a reclining chair – was attacked out of the blue, without provocation. To ‘protect his face’, Mike raised his hand, which was bitten so badly he needed plastic surgery.

After contacting the vets associated with the rescue home, it came to light that the dog had attacked its previous owner. Now, Carol is calling for an urgent change to the dog laws – primarily to ensure that rescue homes must disclose if a dog has a history of biting.

Carol said: “You hear all the time about a child being attacked by a dog. Since December, five people have been killed. When is someone going to stop talking and do something about it?"

Carol met with with Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith earlier this month to discuss the changes she would like to see happen.

Mr Griffith said: “I am was pleased to meet with the Maidments to hear about their campaign to change the law around disclosing a dog’s history at adoption.

“I have written to the Minister for Animal Welfare, Lord Benyon, to highlight and support the Maidments’ campaign which raises important suggestions to prevent attacks when kind people bring dogs into their homes.”

Carol was delighted with how efficient her MP was in listening and acting on her concerns.

“We met on Friday 3rd and his letter to DEFRA is dated the sixth – you can not ask for better than that,” she said. “He listened and did what I asked so quickly, I was impressed. He did what he said he was going to do.

"I’m more than pleased with the letter. It’s exactly what we and the RSPCA were asking for.

"Everyone I speak to, even doctors, can’t believe they aren’t regulated. They can’t believe that information was withheld.”

Carol said the profile of the dog she and Mike adopted was that it loved people and was good and clean in a home. It wasn’t the dog they first enquired about but was instead matched to the couple.

Carol – who ‘adores dogs’ and ‘could never be without one’, said the Jack Russell Terrier ‘suddenly attacked’ her husband and ‘tore his hands to pieces’.

It could very easily have been a child,” she said. “I took the dog the next day to be put down as no way you can think about re-homing it,”

Carol said she has raised the issue ‘with every department I can think of’. She added: “I just hope and pray that something comes out of it. This just isn’t right.

"For the dogs’ sake and human’s sake, it wants regulating but I feel liking I’m hitting by a head against a brick wall.”

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