Puppies seized in dawn raid in West Hampstead
TWO suspected pitbull puppies have been seized from a West Hampstead home after neighbours claimed they were being beaten by their owner. Police and officers from the RSPCA swooped on the Maygrove Road home at 8.15am on Thursday, December 11. Authorities
TWO suspected pitbull puppies have been seized from a West Hampstead home after neighbours claimed they were being beaten by their owner.
Police and officers from the RSPCA swooped on the Maygrove Road home at 8.15am on Thursday, December 11.
Authorities were called in after neighbours contacted the Mayhew Animal Home.
Specialist dog handlers joined officers from the warrant squad and RSPCA animal welfare officers in the early morning raid.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Jan Eachus told the Ham&High: "The person responsible has a duty of care to animals. There are some scars on the dogs but they may just be puppy scars from fighting each other."
PC Mark Gardner from the warrant's team said: "The dogs have been seized because of the conditions they were being kept in and also because they are potentially dangerous dogs.
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"We had to take positive action in this case because of the conditions they were in.
"At the moment it is too early to say whether they are pitbulls but they will be examined over the next couple of months."
The dogs now face an uncertain future. They could be returned to the owners if they can prove they will improve the conditions they live in.
If they prove to be pitbulls they may be neutered, tattooed and micro-chipped before being returned or in extreme cases they could be put down.
Claire Harper, from the Mayhew Animal Home which was first told about the allegations, said: "If the allegations prove to be correct then it is good that they have been taken out of that situation because their welfare was not being cared for."
One woman has been arrested in connection with animal welfare and dangerous dogs offences. She has been bailed until February.
