“Savages” hang family pet from pole

Police are now on the hunt for the “sick, disturbed, evil” thugs behind the sadistic and horrifying act.

It is understood the two-year-old jack russell, named ‘Buster’, hanging from a pole carrying electricity was the first sight to greet a “horrified” mother and her young children – some of whom are too young even for school.

Local councillor Alan Robinson, the Deputy Mayor of Limavady, has been to see the young mother, but said that she was too disturbed by the horrific act to speak.

He told the Sentinel: “I took the call and I know the young woman, Julie, quite well. There was some carry-on and chaos this morning (Tuesday, October 16), as you might imagine.

“A two-year-old pup - Buster. I haven’t the words for these people. They used the wee dog’s lead to choke it and they tied it to a metal pole that carries electricity.

“There were children in the house who were too young to go to school. This was the first sight when they opened the curtains this morning. What kind of person does this? I am seething with anger, I am outraged and I know the whole town is outraged by it.

“Whenever the girl and the children found it they were really, really shaken up by it. There’s a couple of children in the house, but some of them weren’t told about it until afterwards because they were .

“She was in a terrible state. This girl was shaking and she was sheet white – added to that her mother took unwell. You can imagine what she is going through.

“Clearly that person who did this is disturbed. They are sick and they need to get seen to. It is well known that those who indulge in animal cruelty later act out their cruelty on people.

“There is outrage about this, not only in the town, but right across the country and you can see why. People view their pet as a vital part of the family. I have pets myself, and I know how upset I would be if something happened to any of them – let alone something like this.

He added: “The barbarity of hanging an animal is shocking.”

Police are now hunting the sadists responsible for the shocking act. A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “Police in Limavady are appealing for information following the death of a dog in the Drumachose Park area.

“Sometime between the evening of Monday, October 15 and 7.30am on Tuesday, October 16, a jack russell dog was found dead by its owner in the back garden of a property. The dog had been taken out of its kennel and had been hung up by its lead.

“Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact Limavady Police Station on 0845 600 8000. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

The Deputy Mayor and DUP councillor Alan Robinson added: “Only last month my party colleague and father, George Robinson, brought a successful motion to Stormont calling for tougher sentences to be made available for deliberate and severe cases of animal cruelty. The owners of Cody, the Collie dog who had to be put to sleep as a result of the horrific injuries inflicted upon her were George’s guests during the debate and are now in the process of leading a campaign to fundraise, create awareness and highlight animal abuse.

“Little did we know that a few weeks later that we would be dealing with a similar outrage on our own doorstep within the town of Limavady. This now will be opportune time for the Minister responsible to implement the measures called for by George which gained the support of the Northern Ireland Assembly. We cannot allow the filth who indulge in this barbarity to see their crimes as a minor matter of irrelevance.

“There is a family today struggling to cope with the images of their little dog hanging from its own lead within the confines of its garden, a place where it should have been safe from the clutches of evil and disturbed people. This family, like many others who have lost pets to animal abusers need to know that they have the support of not only the community but of Government and policy makers. As Deputy Mayor of Limavady, rest assured they will have my full support.”