Cane corso owner sentenced after two pets killed in dangerous dog attack in Thetford Forest

A dog owner must pay more than £1,000 after two pets were killed by dogs he was walking.

Harry Harper, 27, from Kent, was walking two cane corsos - his dog John and another named Tammy - in Thetford Forest in October when they began chasing two Yorkshire terriers, named Mia and Minnie.

Tammy chased Mia and picked her up in her mouth, inflicting fatal injuries on the terrier.

Harper was ordered to pay more than £1,100 in fines and compensation after admitting two counts of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.

The court ordered that the dog which killed Mia must be neutered, kept muzzled and on a lead, or it will be destroyed.

Police said that Mia died in her owner's arms, while Minnie was found days later after a search of the forest.

Following a police media appeal the day after the attack, Harper called Suffolk police and said that he had been walking the dogs involved in the incident.

Although he did not own the dog that killed Mia, he had been looking after it at the time and pleaded guilty to two counts of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.

Harper appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on 11 July, where he was ordered to pay £800 compensation, a £162 fine, £130 victim surcharge, and £85 costs.

PC Georgia Goreham, of the Forest Heath response investigation team, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident for the victim, who was understandably devastated at the death of her two dogs in this manner.

“This should serve as a stark warning to people that if you are walking a dog that is not yours, or whose temperament you cannot be certain of, then it is imperative to keep it under control and on a lead at all times.”

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