Police raid pensioner’s home to seize ‘little Yorkshire terrier’ who ‘CHASED’ delivery man
SEVEN police officers raided the home of a 73-year-old pensioner to seize her “dangerous” Yorkshire terrier over complaints it chased a delivery man.
Officers took Yorkshire Terrier Alfie from his home on Friday
Claudia Settimo-Bovio says she was “in shock” after police turned up with a search warrant to take away little Alfie following an incident with a courier in June.
The pensioner who lives in Kingston, south west London, claimed officers in five cars came to take the 10-year-old dog away on Friday.
She said: “My dog is not vicious. He's not a Rottweiler, he's a little Yorkshire terrier. I live on my own and he's very protective of me.
“He just likes to chase. Show me a dog who doesn't like to chase.”
Metropolitan Police confirmed a search warrant was carried out at 8.08am on Friday
The 73-year-old, who lives in a flat on the ground floor, said she had received a parcel from an online order.
But she asked the delivery man to leave the package outside the door because Alfie, who she has had since he was a pup, gets excited around other people.
However, when she came out 10 minutes later, the courier was still there - and little Alfie ran through her legs to greet her visitor.
Miss Settimo-Bovio said: “As soon as he saw my dog he was screaming like a lunatic, shouting "he's killing me".
My dog is not vicious. He's not a Rottweiler, he's a little Yorkshire terrier. I live on my own and he's very protective of me.
She said: “He was screaming so loudly people came running out because they thought someone was being attacked.
“He fell over in the garden and I told him if he was afraid to just stay still. My neighbour came out and picked up the dog.
“It looked like the man had a little scratch above the waist, but I think that was from when he fell on the floor.”
She added: “My neighbour had to take him to hospital because he was making such a fuss, but it was just a scratch.”
The pensioner has had Alfie since he was a puppy
Seven officers in five cars came to take the 10-year-old dog away
Alfie was taken away by the police in the raid on Friday, and the pensioner fears she may never see him again.
She said: “I never had a letter from the police. Alfie will probably be very scared now. He's never been in a kennel before.
“I’m in shock. I suffer from anxiety and stress, and this has made it so much worse.
“It was really over the top to send so many people for such a small dog.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed a search warrant was carried out at 8.08am on Friday and a dog was seized under Section 5 of the Dangerous Dogs Act.