Battle to save doomed dog

The children do not know that Rambo is to be destroyed

A Bedford man is fighting to save the life of his family's dog after it attacked three people.

Businessman Mohammed Saleem said his alsatian, Rambo, was a guard dog and had simply been doing his job.

Last week magistrates at Bedford ordered that the dog be destroyed after attacking a neighbour, a police officer and a council worker in the ground of the house.

The court fined Mr Saleem £255 for keeping not keeping a dog under proper control.

Mr Saleem said Rambo was also a family pet and his children did not know he was due to be put down.

The dog, which was given to Mr Saleem two years ago, was a part of the family and a deterrent to burglars.

He said they had had several break-ins and once the large front gates were stolen.

The house where Rambo is a family pet and a guard dog

"The dog is only doing its duty which is guarding the property and its owners and its family."

He said he was to blame and the magistrates who made the order should have imposed a heavier fine on him instead.

"It looks to me that there are a lot of people out there, like burglars, who get away with these things but the poor dog who is only doing his duty is being put down," he added.

A prominent sign on the gates of the family's large detached Victorian home says "Warning, dog bites first, asks questions later" and two others at the property warn that there is a guard dog.

Mr Saleem argues that every Englishman's home is his castle and he has a right to defend it and compares his situation with that of the Norfolk farmer Tony Martin.

He is appealing against the order that Rambo should be put down.