Mr Bronx: Customs defended over "unwarranted public criticism"

Thursday 22 December 2016

Customs officers faced "unwarranted public criticism" for simply doing their job in the case of Mr Bronx, according to the Assistant Minister who has now decided to send him home.

Yesterday, St Lawrence Constable Deirdre Mezbourian decided to allow Mr Bronx - a dog held at the Animals' Shelter since February on suspicion of being a dangerous breed - to go home, but with conditions. The conditions include neutering (which has now been performed), muzzling at all times when in public, no one under the age of 16 is to be left unsupervised with the dog, and the fact that Mr Bronx must be kept on a short lead.

But Constable Mezbourian also attacked the level of public criticism received by Customs Officers, after they spotted Mr Bronx coming back into the Island with his owners from France, and suspected he was a pitbull-type terrier, and therefore needed a licence - a decision which was confirmed in court last month. 

It led to a petition signed by nearly 4,000 islanders, a beach protest, questions in the States Assembly, hundreds of social media posts, including a special Facebook page: Save Mr Bronx. Hundreds of islanders posted pictures of their dogs on Facebook, with the tag 'I am Mr Bronx'.

Top canine celebrities, including the internationally-renowned dog trainer and star of hit TV show ‘It’s Me or the Dog’ Victoria Stilwell, all lent their support to what became a local cause celebre:

She was the second famous face to lend her voice to the protest, after ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actor Anthony Head tweeted a link to the petition.

Please sign the petition and RT https://t.co/btZtr9TJPf

— Anthony Stewart Head (@AnthonySHead) November 23, 2016

That was all brought to a close last night when Constable Mezbourian - as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs - issued the following statement: 

“I have reached the conclusion that the most appropriate course of action is to offer the return of Mr Bronx to its owner, Mr Gomes, under the agreement that stringent conditions are observed and that Mr Gomes accepts full responsibility for the dog’s behaviour. This decision has not been taken lightly and it is most certainly not to be regarded as a precedent, should similar circumstances be encountered in the future...As is the case in the UK with similar situations, these conditions take account of legal requirements, as well as our duty to preserve the safety of the public. 

“This has been a difficult and complex case, and I am grateful to the many members of the public who have expressed their views. However, I would like to leave no doubt that this decision has been reached as a result of the advice received and on consideration of the particular aspects of this case. I would also like to thank all the agencies who have worked hard to ensure that an appropriate outcome could be achieved. In particular, I am grateful to the Customs and Immigration Service, whose officers have received unwarranted public criticism for simply doing their jobs and upholding the Island’s laws.

"Before the dog was returned to its owners, a legal agreement was reached between both parties which sets out certain conditions designed to ensure that the animal is kept properly under control by its owners. These include neutering (which has now been performed), muzzling at all times when in public, the stipulation that no one under the age of 16 is to be left unsupervised with the dog, and the fact that it must, again at all times in public, be kept on a lead no longer than two metres.”