Owner of rampage pitbulls refused to keep them on leash
CRADLED in its owner’s arms, this is one of the five pitbull-type dogs that brought terror to a park before police shot two of them dead. owner daniel Hennessy remained in custody last night as officers who caught two more of the dogs continued to hunt one that fled.
The rampaging pack bit two people after Mr Hennessy, 38, allegedly ignored pleas to put them on leads.
Passers-by grabbed chairs to defend themselves during the incident.
Mr Hennessy was also filmed apparently shouting at women who told him to restrain the powerful animals.
After he allegedly lost control of the dogs on Sunday morning, a woman in her forties was bitten on her hand, while a man was bitten on the leg.
Another woman was treated for shock. Footage shows Mr Hennessy in an argument with one man who told him the dogs should be on a leash.
The animals, thought to be pitbulls – a banned breed – are shown gathering in a pack around the man, who screams, ‘Get them away’ while brandishing a chair.
But as he shouts repeatedly, ‘Get away with your dogs,’ Hennessy refuses to move. Another shopper frightened by the barking animals picks up a chair and swings it at them.
In footage shot from a bus, an onlooker is heard referring to one of the dogs, saying, ‘ He’s chasing that man’ as they rampaged around the Queen’s Park area of Bolton.
Shortly afterwards, several police vehicles arrive at speed, and almost immediately a burst of gunfire is heard as two of the dogs are killed.
Another witness posted foot-age of one of the dead dogs lying in the street moments later.
As the dogs are shot, shocked passers-by can be heard repeating, ‘oh my God.’
Mr Hennessy, who is thought to have bred the dogs from pup-- pies, was filmed sobbing as he was led to a police van by two armed officers.
Following the incident, a 24year- old photographer who took pictures of one of Mr Hennessy’s dogs at a dog photography event last year recalled how it ‘got really stressed and growled and snapped’ during the shoot. The photographer, who didn’t want to be named, added: ‘He was talking to me about the dogs and how he bred them. He said they weren’t pit-bulls, they were bulldog-mastiff crosses.’
Mr Hennessy was arrested on suspicion of affray and allowing dogs to be dangerously out of control in a public place.