A WOMAN’S seven-month wait to have her dogs returned home will continue - after another court hearing failed to decide their fate.
Ashli Lazenby’s pets, Rio and Reggy, were expected to return home to Shepherd Lane, Thurnscoe, after magistrates in Barnsley ruled against the police’s claims that they were a banned breed last month.
The decision should have brought an end to the matter after Dr Kendal Shepherd, a vet and animal behaviourist, said neither dog was a breed classed as dangerous.
The dogs were seized by officers following an incident on March 26 when a man who was walking his own dog was injured by one of them.
But South Yorkshire Police issued proceedings following the ruling and are seeking a contingent destruction order to be approved - which means the dogs will not be destroyed if no other incidents occur within an allotted period of time - and another hearing was held at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
However, the matter was adjourned until December 5 after District Judge David Kitson refused to hear the matter after the police provided their written case just 30 minutes before the hearing was due to start.
He said: “It’s no good issuing essential papers half-an-hour before - just how many bites of the cherry do the police want in this case? The allegations have already been dismissed by this court a matter of weeks ago and they cannot keep coming back until they get their own way.
“I have no choice but to adjourn this until December 5.”
Ashli, 21, added: “It’s ridiculous and Wednesday morning’s hearing was a pointless waste of time. All I want is my pets back as they have been found to be a non-dangerous breed and should be free to return home.
“It’s not fair on them. They’ve been in kennels for almost eight months and I’m not allowed to see them. I don’t know what effect that’s had on them - it’s cruel that they’ve been kept away for so long.”
Her solicitor, James Parry, blasted the police’s handling of the case and said it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“This case shows exactly what a poor tool the Dangerous Dogs Act is in respect of the control of dogs. Both dogs should have been returned home after the court’s initial ruling, but here we are.
“I’m very concerned that this is now an animal welfare case - the police has no good reason to keep these pets away from their owner.”
A spokesman for the police said it would be inappropriate to comment as it is an ongoing case.
