blackmagic Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 I agree with Snow. If someone saw an act of cruelty then they should have reported it to the RSPCA, not the Press Association. It is no different to the sensational reporting about dog's attacking people, which we all hate. If one of your dogs was being attacked by another would you object to someone running up waving a stick to break it up? Sensation sells papers and stirs up people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mop Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 I haven't seen any evidence that he was hitting the dog only waving the stick around, dogs do cower down when you wave a stick arround even dogs that haven't been abused. Yes it should be investigated to see if these alegations are right but getting on and attacking him for something there is no proof of is also wrong. We condemn people to doing this with bull breeds, but do it ourselves for other things. Wait until there is proof, if there is they can lock him up and throw the key away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heva Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 having been in middle of quite a few dog fights its dangerous to go in with your body ....altho have sometimes when had nothing round. I have wedged brushed between dogs...... even threw a squeeky toy at one once! the shock of the noise split them for a second for us to then grab them, I doubt it really hurt them with the adrenalin running through them.... and a small bruise at the most but im not ashamed of it as when i think of the times when we havent been able to split there has been some nasty cuts injuries etc!.............. I dont believe anything i see in the papers......think you can never take it as fact!!!!......but that dont mean its all lies......we will never know i suppose! and in one pic it looks like he is falling over........and th stick is just flying round as he is falling! Like someone said a professional photographer would not miss a pic that showed something bad!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimthecat Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Outrageous! I have little time for the Royal Family, especially as they seem to be excused for their behaviour. I doubt this will be any different. They are a very poor example of what Britain is all about because they are so far removed from reality. Princees Anne appeared in court re her dog being out of control so she wasn't excused I don't like Prince Edward much . It's not clear whether he hit the dog or not but even so, he didn't need to keep chasing and threatening the dog when it was running away. Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 (edited) hmmmm ever since I logged on this morning and saw the yahoo headline this has annoyed me - the source is the Daily Mail that alone makes me very very reluctant to take anything it says as the whole truth ...then I read the article and noted just how VERY carefully it was worded it has clearly been run past lawyers before publishing, and it very clearly says "appears to show" it at no point says he hit the dogs in fact no article I can find anywhere says he hit the dogs. What it does say is that two dogs were fighting and he ran towards them to break up the fight... now fair play here guys reguardless of peoples opinions of bloodsports or the royals, I have read plenty of posts on this forum and many other animal forums over the years where dog loving caring welfare minded people have posted that they had to take extreme measures to break up dog fights or to get another dog off their own dog after it was attacked by another - if a photographer happened to be following those people around at that exact moment what might those photos look like would they also not show dogs cringing away? Now I am no supporter of Prince Edward in fact I cannot stand him but I'm no fan of this kind of journalism either ... I agree. Having dealt with lots of dog fights brandishing a stick and chasing one dog away is one obvious way to break up the fight with nobody getting hurt. It doesn't say anywhere that he hit the dogs,only threatened them with it. Another case of media frenzy I think. I would never condone any cruelty but this looks a normal reaction to two fighting dogs to me.It also looks to me as tho he is protecting the dog nearest to him (and staying as close as possible to him) from the other attacking one.x Edited December 28, 2008 by ranirottie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimthecat Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 From the Mirror - Prince Edward appears to hit hunting dog with stick. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2...15875-21001150/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslass Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Hardly an emphatic denial is it? I agree. I'd be livid if I were accused - unjustly - of animal cruelty. I thought everyone would be appalled, but I guess the royal family ain't a popular target. Ah well, what's another minor scuffle with a dog, when they're out slaughtering creatures for "sport"? Incidentally, I am the last person to believe everything I read in the papers, but for some reason, I just don't find it hard to believe this particular accusation. I realise that doesn't make him guilty, however, and I await his legal department's statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 That last photo does look rather more incriminating doesn't it I'm not a fan of the Royal Family, but I do recall how the media have twisted photos of dogs for their anti-certain-breed-types campaigns so will reserve judgment a little. I think without being there and knowing what happened (or didn't) to cause his reaction, it's hard to know why he's reacted and what the photos really show. Without knowing if the dogs were really in a big scuffle, I find it difficult to judge. Maybe they were having a major scrap - which would be odd for dogs trained to work in that situation I'd have thought - and when dogs do fight seriously, I think sometimes common sense and calm can go out of the window a little. Peaceful person that I am, if a dog set upon mine (and I'm not saying that's the case here, I don't know) I'd do what it took to keep my dog safe - and I can't guarantee in the heat of the moment of protecting my own dog, I'd do the most sensible thing as I'm sure panic would set in. Of course he could be an arrogant who just hit his dog, but I hope not, for the dog's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 In that picture the other dog appears to be crouched at his feet so he could have been protecting it. The dog is certainly not running away in that picture but facing him. You don't know the angle of the camera shot, which could distort how things look. In fact the crook- which is what he is carrying, not a stick- seems to passing down at the side of the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslass Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Princees Anne appeared in court re her dog being out of control so she wasn't excused She did, but the fine for her dog's attack on two children was considered a paltry punishment; much less than might have been expected. The same dog then went on to kill the Queen's corgi, I believe. Then more recently, we have the case of the Amazing Invisible Hen Harriers....3 people, including a young prince, are shooting on an estate when two hen harriers (a protected species) are seen to fall from the sky. No bodies are found, though, hence no convictions. How very convenient. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/07/monarchy.wildlife The Royal family appears to be above the law, simple as that, and I despair of a nation which permits that kind of injustice. I am pretty sure that if some poor lad wearing a hoodie had been filmed "separating" his two bull breeds (and calming them down with a stick he happened to be carrying), we'd have jumped to conclusions, whatever the story's source. In fact the crook- which is what he is carrying, not a stick- seems to passing down at the side of the dog. A crook is a stick. Is Prince Edward a shepherd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 A crook is a stick. Is Prince Edward a shepherd? I don't know if he is or he isn't. They are used by people other than shepherds. Crooks are used to help with walking ( similar to walking poles)and can move scrub and brush out of the way or be used to help you up a slope by hooking onto something. The Royals have no right to be above the law, but they also deserve to be innocent until proved guilty and not tried by media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslass Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Crooks are used to help with walking ( similar to walking poles)and can move scrub and brush out of the way or be used to help you up a slope by hooking onto something. I know. My point was that a young lad carrying a crook might not be so easily excused, that's all - it's a handy tool/weapon/whatever. I'm afraid I've spent too many years living in rural Scotland to be under any illusions about how some shooters treat their dogs. However, I expect tomorrow will bring palace denials, proof that the Prince didn't hurt his dogs, and apologies from the newspapers for picking up the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrier Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 My point was that a young lad carrying a crook might not be so easily excused, that's all - it's a handy tool/weapon/whatever. I'm afraid I've spent too many years living in rural Scotland to be under any illusions about how some shooters treat their dogs. Some shooters? I've seen how some urban pet owners treat their dogs but that doesn't mean we should all be judged by the standards of the some I see daily. As for the young lad carrying a crook - surely that depends on the situation. Carrying it around an inner city area, nope, he probably wouldn't be so easily excused - but carrying a crook whilst out in the countryside? However, I expect tomorrow will bring palace denials, proof that the Prince didn't hurt his dogs, and apologies from the newspapers for picking up the story. Why would they bother? Whatever the Royal Family say, I'd be more inclined to believe that the press are more likely to twist it to their own editorial line and use it as (if you'll forgive the appalling metaphor) another stick to beat them with, than to admit they made it all up. Journalistic integrity and all that. Stories have been made up in the press about the royals so many times. If they retaliated to them all they wouldn't have time to do anything else. Maybe they were having a major scrap - which would be odd for dogs trained to work in that situation I'd have thought - and when dogs do fight seriously, I think sometimes common sense and calm can go out of the window a little. Peaceful person that I am, if a dog set upon mine (and I'm not saying that's the case here, I don't know) I'd do what it took to keep my dog safe - and I can't guarantee in the heat of the moment of protecting my own dog, I'd do the most sensible thing as I'm sure panic would set in. Having been in that situation - I can honestly say that if I had a stick to hand, I would have used it to defend my dog against the two that attacked him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kym Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 It would appear to be a slow news day. Typical press mis reporting. The photo does not show him beating the dog- it is a split second in time taken from one angle. Sorry dont trust the press at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 It really doesn't look like he's hit the dogs at all - that reporting is terribly biased "appears" "allegedly" et al This photo did make me chuckle though If you look to the right, you'll see the naughty dog has got the bird again... LOL Prince too busy chasing the other dog to notice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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