Local man joins global animal cruelty campaign

A LOCAL resident and businessman has helped gather hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition to impose harsher penalties on people who abuse animals.

Ian Sanders, a roofer in Westbury, is part of a group campaigning for a harsher sentence to be given to two young men who abused their pet bulldog to the point it had to be put down.

The story of ‘Baby’ hit national headlines earlier this year, when the dog’s 19 and 22 year-old owners beat it so much it was paralysed and later had to be put down. The two men were banned from keeping animals for 20 years, given a suspended 21-week prison sentence and a curfew.

Ian said, “The story of ‘Baby’ the Bulldog and the cruel brutal torture she was put through until her premature demise is now global news.

“She was starved, beaten, head butted, thrown repeatedly down the stairs and had her neck, back and stomach stomped on.  Being a bulldog, Baby was strong enough to survive the attack, but she was injured.

“It took three more months and the loss of the use of her back legs before she was euthanized. That was three more months of living with the monsters who heartlessly and sadistically inflicted her injuries and pain. Not once did she retaliate, and remained submissive through out her ordeal.

“Now when the perpetrators filmed their dog torture video, I’m sure they thought it would remain between them. It didn’t. The SD card on their phone dropped out when they were shopping at a supermarket, and somebody picked it up. That same somebody watched the video clips and actually recognized the evil, brothers. The police were alerted, and the brothers were arrested.

“Andrew and Daniel Frankish pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to their dog by subjecting her to unnecessary physical violence. You’d think that the court would’ve thrown the book at them. They didn’t.

“The brothers received a 21-week sentence, suspended for two years. They were given a tagged curfew for six months, and were banned from keeping animals for life. They were ordered to pay a mere £300 costs. That is, in my opinion, an exceedingly lenient sentence, and no deterrent at all to these two.

“I know that this is not a local event, however, this has now gone global and so we are joining the fight to make a difference for the future ‘Baby’s’ of this world and make animal cruelty punishments much less lenient.”

You can sign the petition here: www.change.org/p/david-cameron-mp-reconsider-andrew-and-daniel-frankish-s-prison-sentences-for-animal-cruelty-charges and follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lets-get-the-case-reviewed-for-vicious-Andrew-and-Daniel-frankish-560895030743418/

Ian continued, “There is a Bulldog walk arranged on the 29th May at Southwick Country Park for the Edward foundation, a Bulldog charity organised through Bulldog rescue for abused Bulldogs, arranged by local Policeman John Miller who is a Southwest rep for the Bulldog Rescue, and currently is fostering three rescued bulldogs.  

“John does an enormous amount of work with these animals and re-homes them himself.  Anyone wishing to join us is more than welcome.  A small donation to the Edward foundation would be appreciated on the day.”