Condemned dog earns reprieve

A neighbour complained to a court about Sam's barking

A dog condemned to death by an Aberdeen court, after a neighbour complained about his barking, has won a temporary reprieve pending an appeal to the High Court in Edinburgh.

William Shaw described the order by Justice of the Peace John Logan to destroy his eight-year-old West Highland terrier, Sam, as an "absolute disgrace".

A court order was made in June 1996 ordering that Sam be kept quiet.

His 56-year-old owner has since been fined several times for failing to stop Sam making a noise.

Mr Shaw: "It's an absolute disgrace"

Mr Shaw said: "She claims that the dog barks when we are not here and, you see, you've got no defence to that.

"We have to leave him for a few hours at a time and she claims he barks, so what can you say?"

However, other neighbours in Aberdeen's Braeside area are supporting Sam.

One woman said to kill a dog for barking was "unforgiveable".

Animal lover

There has also been support from the owners of a Peterhead dog saved from a similar legal fate three years ago.

Woofie was saved after the intervention of former French film star and animal lover, Brigitte Bardot.

Woofie's plight attracted massive media attention both in Scotland and abroad.

The dog, a black collie-boxer mongrel, landed herself in trouble after escaping through a window at her home and running down the street barking at passers-by including a postman.