Fighting fear as dog is hurt

A bleeding Staffordshire bull terrier limped into a Bloxwich tyre repair centre after being badly hurt in a suspected dog fight – the latest in a series of illegal dog activity in the town.

The RSPCA was called to the tyre and exhaust unit on the industrial estate, in Fryers Road, after staff thought the dog had been knocked down by a car.

But RSPCA inspector Jayne Bashford, who collected the dog and took her to RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital, said the dog's condition suggested the injuries were the result of something more sinister.

It comes after three suspected illegal dogs were seized in Bloxwich during separate raids, and police said today they were acting on intelligence from members of the public about the menace.

"She had a number of bleeding wounds on her body, all consistent with being in a recent fight," Ms Bashford told the Express & Star.

"Honey, as we have named the dog, has shown no signs of aggression while she has been in our care. She is making steady progress at the animal hospital.

"Dog fighting seems to be an increasingly common occurrence where the real victims are the dogs such as Honey. We are determined to do all we can to crack down on anyone who is involved in this illegal activity."

Homes in Gurney Road and Irvine Road, Bloxwich, were recently raided and suspected dangerous dogs taken away for tests.

Police said a pitbull was seized and destroyed following a raid at the Leathern Bottle pub, in Cresswell Crescent.

New figures show 160 dangerous dogs seized by West Midlands Police across the region last year.

Acting Sergeant James Hunt, from Bloxwich Police Station, said: "There have been some well publicised cases where ownership of dangerous dogs has gone badly wrong, and we are keen for us not to see this kind of incident locally."