Stratford man must keep his two dogs on leads after horrific swan attack
A STRATFORD man whose dogs attack and killed three cygnets has been cautioned by police.
The 62-year-old man, who has not been named, must now keep both of his dogs on leads in public and the dog which carried out the attack must be muzzled, Warwickshire Police told the Herald.
The two dogs – thought to be spaniels – were filmed mauling the young swans which were grazing on a piece of grass close to the River Avon by the Tramway Bridge.
The terrified birds could not get to the safety of the river.
Swan warden Cyril Bennis said last week he was horrified by the attack and had not seen anything like it in over 40 years of caring for the Stratford’s swan population.
“The dogs were tearing at the young swans as their mother called for them from the river, but they were trapped by fencing. Two were killed and I took a third to the Ark Veterinary Practice but the injuries were so severe it had to be put to sleep. I had tears in my eyes when I saw what happened,” said Mr Bennis.
The attack was captured on film. It lasts one and a half minutes and towards the end of the video a male – thought to be the dogs’ owner – intervenes and ushers the animals away.
Mr Bennis added: “There are lots of honest dog owners who walk by the river and who are our eyes and our ears on the Recreation Ground, and they keep their dogs on a lead. But the individual on Saturday took one and a half minutes before he did anything with his dogs. The dogs were uncontrollable. What if that had been a child?”
An RSPCA spokesperson told the Herald after the attack: “This was a very upsetting and sad incident and must be especially distressing for those who live locally and enjoy the swans every day.
“It’s vitally important that dog owners keep their pets under control around wildlife to prevent tragic situations like this.”
The attack took place at 7.24am on Saturday, 6th August.
