Dog lovers all over Australia united on Sunday 15 November 2015 to show their support for Biggie and his family at their local #WalkForBiggie.
Check out the video below filmed at the Perth walk at Perry’s Paddock!
There were walks for Biggie held all over Australia on Sunday. People brought their dogs along and united to support Biggie’s family and demand justice for the murdered Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffy).
It was a lovely show of support and respect for a family member taken too soon… Yes, family member! Ask any dog lover if their dog is part of the family, and you’ll realise that the loss of Biggie has left behind broken hearts and a family who will be grieving for some time.
I attended the Perth #WalkForBiggie held at Perry’s Paddock with my partner, our Staffy, and some friends and their dogs. It was great to see such a great turn out of people and pups.
Although a majority of the dogs were Staffy’s and other bull breeds, there were dogs of all shapes and sizes in attendance. Even a little Shitzu cross who wasn’t at all intimidated by the bigger dogs. There were young dogs and old dogs, and plenty of bottles and containers of water, as it was quite a warm Perth day.
We walked to show our support for Biggie’s family… We walked because Biggie should not have been killed… We walked as united dog lovers with a common understanding that dogs are our best friends, our fur-babies, our family… And we don’t want this to happen again.
It seems that there is a lack of Police training on how to deal with situations involving dogs. Not just in Australia, but all over the world, dogs are shot by authorities who fear that they’ll be attacked. Some are killed in their own home or yard, so something is seriously lacking within the training of Police officers.
RIP Biggie XOXO I hope that your passing leads to change. At the very least, better training for Police and better laws to protect man’s best friend.
Why the #WalksForBiggie? Here’s what happened:
Biggie was a beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffy) who lived with his human mum and dad Pat and Alena Wharram and biological Staffy mum Holly in Banksia Grove in Perth (Western Australia).
On 2 November 2015 a policeman shot Biggie at close range in a suburban street after he and his mother had managed to get out of their yard.
It has been reported that the two dogs were seen in a park fighting each other and growling, and families playing close by felt that the dogs were aggressive and no doubt were afraid of the dogs, so they alerted the authorities.
As the owner of a Staffy myself, and witness to him playing with other doggie friends, I know that when Staffy’s play they can growl and seem like they are actually fighting and hurting each other which is not the case, so it is possible that the dogs were just playing with each other.
Biggie’s parents reported Biggie and Holly as lost, and a ranger was sent to locate the dogs, meanwhile Police were called. Holly was caught by the ranger, and Biggie was still roaming the streets.
There’s no doubt that both the dog Biggie, and the policeman, were uncertain and anxious by the time they crossed paths in a neighbourhood court in Kinross where there was only one way into and out of the street.
Biggie was cornered and pacing around looking for a way to escape from the officer who stood int he middle of the road. A resident’s security surveillance footage shows Biggie looking for a way out, then heading toward the policeman and pacing left and right like he is trying to get around the officer. Unexpectedly Biggie then sits down as though he’s accepted defeat and realises the fun and games are over, but horrifically the officer then shoots Biggie fatally.
How terribly heartbroken Biggie’s family must be. All he did was get out of his yard and roam the streets with his mum which scared some people, and before a ranger could locate him, he was shot by a Policeman who presumably has not had adequate training on how to handle this type of situation.
It’s not clear why the officer didn’t just monitor the dog and wait for the assistance of the ranger, but an investigation is underway and Biggie’s parents are taking legal action. It has been reported that Police originally told Pat that his dog had attacked a Police officer. The video evidence has proven that Biggie didn’t attack at all.
For further information check out the ‘Justice for Biggie’ Facebook Community: https://web.facebook.com/JusticeforBiggie/
