An elderly Irish man has won a court bid to get his Jack Russell back after 176,000 people signed an online petition.
It was feared that 85-year-old Donal Rogers' Jack Russell would have to be put down after biting a woman in a one-off attack on March 6th last.
However, Donal has since been granted four weeks to put certain dog control measures in place at his home in order to satisfy the court's conditions.
Once these have been carried out, Judge Fergus has indicated that he would more than likely opt for the dog to stay with the retired garda on a permanent basis.
Back in July, 85-year-old Donal Rogers spoke out about his heartbreak that his beloved pal was being 'forcibly put down'.
On the petition page online, it outlined how they came to face this situation.
“My little dog was lying in the sun on the front lawn of my house on a Sunday morning.
Donal & Kim, Change.org
"Strangers came down the road, walking, and she ran out on the road, and she nipped the person on the leg”.
Donal’s house is at the top of a hill on a very quiet road surrounded mostly by fields.
He says he immediately apologised to the woman’s husband who came and knocked at the door after the incident.
He said, “I offered to take her to hospital, but she refused to travel with me”.
The woman, who is in her 60s, was taken to hospital by a neighbour of Donal’s and her wound was treated before being sent home.
Sometime later, Rogers says he received a court summons and that during subsequent hearings the woman demanded that Kim be destroyed.
The petition explained that he offered to compensate her financially, as the dog means a lot to him and has no history of biting or other unruly behaviour.
He said that the woman did not relent and that his plea has fallen on deaf ears.
Thousands of people have since expressed sympathy with Donal and he has received an outpouring of support on social media.
The campaign gained such traction that comedian and animal lover Ricky Gervais joined the cause, tweeting: “This is so sad and frustrating. Anyone out there know how this dog can be saved? #SaveKim.”
To check out the petition, visit change.org.
