Belfast City Council Claims ‘Abuse’ by Lennox Supporters

Because of what it’s calling an “online hate campaign” against them in regard to death-row dog Lennox, the Belfast City Council has asked for protection, the Belfast Telegraph reported yesterday.

Lennox was confiscated from his family back in May 2010 because animal control officers declared him to be a Pit Bull mix.

Pit Bulls are banned in Northern Ireland.

In the two years since then, more than 127,000 people have signed a petition asking the Belfast City Council to spare the dog’s life. Caroline Barnes, who adopted 7-year-old Lennox when he was a puppy, started the Save Lennox website to provide information and updates on the case.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the minutes from the Belfast City Council meeting on May 18 state that the council has been subjected to “abuse, harassment and intimidation,” including “online harassment and physical attacks on property and people.”

The council wrote up new policies, expected to be approved today, that specify the actions to take if staff is abused via social media. The Belfast Telegraph reported that the attorney general is investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Lennox himself appears to be a victim of abuse. The dog suffers from a skin condition that requires medication. Photos on the Save Lennox Facebook page show a large patch of fur missing from his right side.

After seeing the photos, dog trainer Victoria Stillwell, host of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog,” said in a podcast that Lennox was not being properly treated for the condition. “That dog’s fur does not need to be like that,” she said.

According to the Save Lennox website, previous photographs “clearly show Lennox in a cold, inhumane, concrete kennel which is visibly too small. There are no visible signs of a constant fresh water supply, heating or toys for stimulation, and the photographs show Lennox sitting upright in a box-type bed, surrounded by his own feces with only sawdust for bedding, which many dog experts have agreed is harmful to dogs.”

To mark the second anniversary of Lennox’s confiscation, the Save Lennox campaign is asking supporters to participate in a 72-hour “Each One, Reach One” social media event today through Sunday. Its purpose is to raise awareness via Facebook and Twitter of the sad case of Lennox – as well as all victims of breed-specific legislation.

PHOTO: Facebook

Laura Goldman

Laura Goldman is senior social media writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. She does love dogs. And elephants and turtles. Along with writing about the loves of her life, Laura likes to play with her two pound pups and tell anyone who’ll listen just how awesome Pit Bulls are.

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