Target: Judge Graham Cottle, Exeter Crown Court
Goal: Praise decision to reverse destruction order on gentle dog and send her to a new home after she was locked up for two years without exercise by police force.
An innocent dog locked up for two years without exercise has finally been freed and rehomed. Despite having never shown aggression, Stella the pit bull was taken from her owner in 2014 simply because she is a banned breed. The dog was then reportedly caged for over two years without ever being exercised, while waiting to be put down.
Following a media report on the animal’s plight, a wave of public criticism of the dog’s detention and unfair sentence, including by the ForceChange community, put pressure on authorities to release Stella. This has led to a judge reversing the destruction order and allowing for the gentle dog to finally be rehomed.
Sign this petition thanking authorities for finally releasing this innocent dog so that she can recover from the distressing ordeal of being locked up for two years.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Justice Cottle,
Thank you for reversing Stella the pit bull’s destruction order and allowing her to be adopted into a suitable home. Prior to this, Stella spent two years locked up without exercise by the Devon and Cornwall police, despite being perfectly innocent and having never displayed signs of aggression.
While we praise this laudable decision, this move should not have been over two years in the making, as it has caused this poor animal significant distress. Moreover, breed-specific legislation has been proven to be irrational and inefficient at preventing dog bites.
Thank you for setting a positive precedent with Stella, and please ensure no other animal suffers like she did by battling breed-specific legislation and making sure future cases are handled faster.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Laura Khanlarian
