A dog owner has blasted a court order to put down his two young French bulldogs after they bit a woman who was passing his home.
According to North Wales Live, three-year-old Roxy and seven-month-old Kilo, who belong to John Gizzi, were destroyed by a judge at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Monday.
But Gizzi, a convicted former gangster, has called the destruction order “ridiculously harsh” and has already said he will appeal.
In May, the 50-year-old was prosecuted for having his two French Bulldogs dangerously out of control after Zoe Carroll was injured in St Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales.
Gizzi, a convicted former gangster, has said he will appeal.
The attack left the victim with injuries to her hand and shin, and she had hospital treatment.
Gizzi pleaded guilty to the charge at Llandudno Magistrates Court, and a District Judge gave him two concurrent suspended jail terms, one for each dog attack, and ordered him to pay £3,000 compensation to the victim.
The judge also said the animals must be put down.
Gizzi said: “The decision to put down my dogs is barbaric and ridiculously harsh.
“I would be the first to agree that if dogs bite someone and savage them, then they should be destroyed. But in this case, the injuries were minor, and my dogs are young and can be rehabilitated.
“I will be appealing the court order to have them put down. I have been in touch with the RSPCA, and I’m looking forward to them analyzing my dogs independently.”
He added: “It should be pedophiles that get put down - not my little dogs.”
The dog owner claimed that the police arrived to take them away when the victim first complained about his French Bulldogs.
“They said: ‘These dogs bit someone two weeks ago, and they’re going to have to go now,” said Gizzi.
But he claimed the officers were “stroking” the dogs.
According to his lawyer in court, the £3,000 compensation was excessive because the wounds were minor.
Gizzi said: “Soldiers get £4,500 for having their fingers blown off.”
Since the court case, a petition to save the animals has been set up by supporters.
It received 100 signatures in 16 minutes, according to Gizzi.
Many people have commented on the court case, with some supporting the dogs and others satisfied with the court ruling to have them destroyed.
Gizzi, of Cwttir Lane, St Asaph, said: “Thank you to everyone who has shown their support. Most agree that they shouldn’t be put down.”
He has three weeks from the court’s decision to appeal.