A petition to save a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that was discovered eating his dead owner’s corpse has received more than 35,000 signatures.
The dog in question, Butch – also known as Buster – was found and retrieved in Waterloo by Merseyside Police in 2015 whilst eating the remains of his former keeper.
The owner had been ill for some time, but the precise cause of death has not been established, or whether Butch was just eating to survive.
After being seized, Butch was put in kennels and has remained there for two years whilst arguments over his fate continue to be debated by both Merseyside Police and the public.
A petition was created in aid of the bull terrier, in a bid to save his life and honour his owner’s wish, which was to hand the dog over to the Senior Staffy Club.
Charlene McQuoid-Guess, a behaviourist at The Hayloft Pet Services and Senior Staffs Club, told JMU Journalism: “We will continue to do everything we possibly can to fight to save Butch’s life. Our desire is only to safely rehome him in accordance with his deceased owner’s heartfelt wishes.”
YouTube: Parry Welch Lacey LLP
Butch was assessed by Merseyside Police Dog expert Stuart Davidson, to determine if he is cooperative when given instructions. Constable Davidson can be seen in the video above using a method known as the alpha roll. When this technique is used, Butch appears to try and bite the officer’s arm.
However, speaking about the alpha roll, Mrs McQuoid-Guess said: “The alpha roll is not a manoeuvre that is likely to happen in daily life. It is a very good way of making a dog feel uncomfortable or frightened. Restricting a dog in this way removes one of its two key instinctive reactions to a threat, the ability to flee or get away.
“Giving it very few other options to remove the threat other than to use its one of its other key survival reaction, to fight.”
The case of Butch is still currently being processed and shall be sent to the High Court in the near future for a judicial review.