Local mutts saved from ‘doggy death row’
(CNS): Three Cayman mutts being held at the Department of Agriculture pound awaiting an untimely end have been saved by a judge following an appeal by their owner. Duke Perri Merren was convicted in Summary Court last year of suffering ferocious dogs to be at large, criminal trespass and damage to property, following an altercation with his neighbour and his dog in 2016. Part of the sentencing was an order for the dogs to be destroyed. However, the animals have been spared after Justice Hellman, who admitted he was also a dog owner, agreed that other steps could be taken to protect the public.
Since the conviction, which Merren did not appeal, he has constructed a fence to enclose the dogs on his land which has been seen and approved by the authorities. Following the hearing Thursday, Merren agreed to comply with a new court order that they would not be outside of his property unless they were leashed, muzzled and under the supervised limit of just two dogs to one adult when out walking.
The dogs, which were described in court by Merren’s defence attorney, Brett Basdeo, as typical medium-sized Cayman mutts, had ended up on doggy death row after Merren’s neighbours were badly bitten during an incident in which Merren was held liable.
In the original case, Merren’s neighbour returned home with his fiancée after walking his own dog to find Merren’s four dogs lying in the road in front of his property. He said that as he approached his electric gate to enter, the dogs came towards him. Believing that they were dangerous after two previous incidents when they had attacked his dog, he stomped his foot loudly to shoo them away, as he and his girlfriend made their way inside the driveway.
But as the gate was closing behind the couple, Merren came rushing from his home across the street yelling expletives at the neighbour and accusing him of kicking his dogs. He managed to prise the electric gate back open, damaging it as he did, and entered the man’s property with his four dogs. During the angry exchange between the neighbours Merren’s dogs set about the victim’s dog, and during the attempts to break them apart everyone was bitten.
The couple sustained several injuries and both had to go to hospital for stitches.
Merren pleaded guilty after the trial began in May 2017 and was later given a short suspended sentence, told to pay for the damage and medical bills, and given a community service order. The magistrate also ordered that the dogs be put to sleep. But Merren filed an immediate appeal against the destruction order and the dogs were given a stay.
The dogs have been held at the DoA pound. He told the court that one of them has since died and he believed it had been poisoned.
The court also heard that since the conviction Merren has acquired another two dogs, so when his older animals are returned he will have five dogs, but given the size of the property and the enclosure around it, the judge was content to allow the dogs to return home on the condition that owner agreed to the conditions.
Justice Hellman said Merren was now the keeper of his animals and their lives were in his hands. If they are seen outside the enclosed area without a leash and a muzzle, they could be destroyed.
Haha. You Ass hole. How about you get in the cage with him and see who survives.
Perry, I know you well. You are different and that leads many people to come to the wrong conclusions. You should sue for the death of your dog in pound (not sure what the law says here, but it seems that they had a duty of care to the dog and owner).
Pretty soon you will go to jail just for being different. We are going the typical European route and will eventually regulate away all out rights and freedoms.
We’re the dogs off your property without a leash or not? That is the only question that has any bearing on liability.
Scooby dooby doooo
I do like that this man believes that where his poor neighbors come from is remotely relevant. Shows an attitude that is sadly rife.
Hmmm. Thanks for the rebuttal.
Did Perri and these persons share a yard or did the persons with the gate leave it open allowing the dogs in? If they’d been attacked before why did they exit there car and expect a different outcome instead of getting Perri’s attention to move his animals? Stomping your foot at aggressive animals is interpreted by said animal as a challenge to fight. Why did it take multiple attacks before a fence was erected? Seems to me all parties were at fault; and that the authorities should have intervened after the first incident; not the 42elewenteeneth
treatment of dogs in cayman…a sad reflection on its population
So true.
Germany and England are 2 dog-loving populations.
– Who
Do they have leash laws that are ignored?
Bigot much?
Yes.
Perry ain’t nothing but a hound dog. Crying all the time.
That an Elvis Presley hit .lol..I like that one too.
All dog owners should have a license like cars, renewed every 5 years. Dog breeders especially, and make the fees associated with licensing for them so expenses it should deter them from ever considering that ‘business’.
So should a lot of people capable of breeding on this island. Just saying….
Dogs are actually required to be licensed here. Years ago there was a $2 fee to do so, renewable annually. The tags were available at the Ag Dept, Humane Society and the vet clinics. Almost everyone who owned a dog back then made sure their dog was licensed, and you would see dogs everywhere with their tags on their collars. Somewhere in the late nineties(I think), the $2 fee was dropped, and instantly people stopped licensing their dogs. I think people feel that if something is free, then it is not seen as important, and sadly, Agriculture doesn’t seem to have an interest in doing anything about changing this.
We should actually have mandatory microchip registration, as is the case in the UK as of last year. Owners of ‘fixed’ pets would pay less than owners who choose not to spay or neuter their pets, thereby contributing more to the costs of dealing with Cayman’s unwanted pets.
As to the breeders, the Animals Law also deals with this. Part VI of the Animals Law states:
29. (1)
Part VI – Licensed Operations
A person shall not-
(a) keep pet animals belonging to another person for which a charge is made;
(b) breed pet animals;
(c) sell a pet animal or act as broker in relation to the sale or transfer
of animals;
(d) train or keep animals for guard duties other than the guarding of
his own premises; or
(e) keep animals for public display,
unless he holds an operating licence.
It goes on to further state:
(6) Operating licences are annual and subject to the payment of the
prescribed fee.
(7) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of ten thousand dollars.
The Licences are to be issued by the Chief Agriculture Veterinary Officer.
I’ve copied and pasted the above directly from the Animals Law.
Here is the link to the entire Law for anyone interested: http://www.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/11528323.PDF
There are actually a lot of good Laws in place already. The issue, as is so often the case, is that nobody is enforcing them, or that the Laws were never taken back to the Attorney General’s office to be implemented into Law!!! It’s ridiculous. This is why the public does not think that there are laws in place to deal with these issues.
Instead, Government seems happy to depend on the charities to take care of the issues for them.
I know that a lot of people feel it is silly to help animals, but, to be honest, in a lot of situations where animals’ needs are not being met, there are also people who are in need. The issue of animal welfare is a symptom of a much broader social issue in this country, one that successive Governments do not seem willing to address.
Remember when everyone followed the law and licensed their bicycles and the cops actually checked?
No
I do. $10 at the Police Station. Everyone complied. They’ve let all the ‘little’ laws go, so no-one feels they need to follow the ‘big’ ones..
If the dogs are found to be off Merren’s property, he should loose his privilege to keep pets – including goldfish. He should be held to account, not the dogs (unless they have been irreversibly weaponized). In any future incident, the dogs should be taken away, his pet privileges revoked, and the animals made available to new, more responsible and loving homes.
…but of course none of that, none of that will happen.
It is not the Absurdistan way.
Perry Merren should be in a cage with the vicious dogs he’s raised.
vicious dogs are becoming a huge problem in cayman islands, but so are thieves and crime? people are getting dogs to protect themselves….but…..?
This man should not be allowed to have dogs, he forced his way into his Neighbour’s property with his dogs and they attacked the Neighbour’s dog and bit the Neighbour’s he should have been charged with GBH and the dogs taken away permanently and he should be banned from having animals for life
Too many out of control dogs. Why did this man have 6 dogs, for breeding no doubt, with a heavy dose of pit bull mix. Given his history if the dogs are to be saved for future savaging of the public, at least he should have recd a permanent ban from ever keeping dogs again.
Not breeding them. He actually saved them from a breeder that was not caring for them properly. It’s not his fault that they are aggressive, he did not make them that way!
Judgemental or what…
If they are aggressive they should be put down. End of story.
Breeding?? Proves you don’t know Perri at all! Lol …Perri has been rescuing dogs since he was a small boy and even after these dogs were removed, he rescued two others. Maybe you should talk to the HS and others who know him. Or have a seat.
Breeding dogs? Who?? Peri! Now I’ve heard it all on here. It is obvious you do not know the man and just make remarks based on hearsay and your own speculation. Please, if you don’t know what you are talking about, don’t open your mouth and remove all doubt making it so.
Who came up with the idea that ferocious dogs who bite someone should be put down???
Thats just cruel on the animal that is an animal! Has no Free Will !
If the dog is vicious and the owner cannot or will not control it, then a painless death is the only way to deal with it. Sick and tired of doggy lovers thinking their dogs can do anything, walking them unleashed on the beach so they come yapping and snapping at you whilst the owner tells you how friendly they are. Put the leash on people, you have no right to let your property interfere with me or mine in any way shape or form.
Better, vicious humans be put down. I’ll take my chances with the dog.
He is easily excitable and they obviously have past history of not getting along with eachother (the neighbors) but that man saved those mutts from a bad situation in the first place (which made them aggressive) and loves his dogs. Gotta give him that.
Not sure what he was thinking forcing his way past their gate, breaking it, and allowing the dogs to follow him in knowing how aggressive they are… That’s disappointing. (Drinking port again Perri?)
When are you going to calm down and grow up? That handle you keep flying off of is going to get you in more trouble than you can get yourself out of soon enough! Who will take care of your property and those dogs if you’re at Northward?
Perry, as we all knew him in the school system back in the day, is wild and totally uncontrollable when he loses his temper. Even as a primary school kid he would take a swing at a teacher trying to discipline him. Alcohol does not improve him. He should not, repeat not, be allowed to have any dogs of a similar excitable nature to his own.
Disappointing?!
Cayman needs a few dozen more Perri Merrens. Balls. Most others have their’s hidden behind keyboards.
Cayman seems to have plenty Perrys
Animals shouldn’t be punished for the inconsideration and incapability of humans. The amount of neglected and roaming dogs who have to fend for themselves is staggering, yet our government continues to put their head in the sand. As has been said so many times before there should be full time dog catchers driving around Island. Dogs who have been caught can be claimed back by paying a hefty fine. Dogs which are not claimed should be given up for adoption…………but the fear is then that owners will resort to chaining up their dogs 24/7. I have neighbors who do this. Why someone would want to have an animal to then just chain it up is beyond me……….
This already exists. The Dept of Ag drive around collecting dogs and the owners have 10 days to claim before the are destroyed.
Never EVER seen them
I have. They used to set dog traps in BT.
Because BT has so many out of control unchained dogs and so many “owners” who will cuss you to kingdom cone if you dare to speak to them about their dogs. Only solution in such a situation is trap the dogs and euthanize them. Sad but unfortunately we can’t euthanize the owners which would be much better for all of us in Cayman.
It’s actually 7 days – animals are put to sleep every Friday at the DOA
Who says that God does not look out for his creatures. Keep the faith.
“A righteous man regards the life of his beast.”
It is most certainly in the word of God.
Sooo, who’s the beast in this situation?
Brett – a lawyer with a moral compass and integrity. Well done and congratulations. I doubt most lawyers would have even taken that fight on.
Amen!
Setting a bad presidence and example for future law suits. Now every dog owner will do as he wants to do. No justice. What is this with tying up dogs and having more than one or two. Criminal and controlling behaviour.
Terrible judge, horrible judgement as dogs should have been put down and Duke Merren needs to have fewer than 5 dogs. Cayman and the Brac have out of control pet problems.
Especially considering that Perri and his various dogs have terrorised that neighbourhood for years.
But him tru-born and as such, now obviously above the law , bredren. Wouldn’t want to be the folk that just spent 2 Mil $ on the house down the street.
if these dogs were not to be put down then it should have been on condition that the owner agreed never to keep dogs again, since he is obviously incapable of looking after them in a way that protects the public.
That’s exactly what happened if you take the time to read the story you muppet!
No, Merren was allowed to keep the dogs. Muppet!
Oh the irony in this comment
Modern justice means siding with the criminals, more often than not. You don’t want the dogs destroyed, order that they be put up for adoption – but definitely DO NOT give them back to an owner who has proven to be irresponsible. Modern Justice at its best. I don’t suppose the magistrate could be sued if the dogs and the owner were to attack someone else again…Yea, good luck with that one.
He is WAY MORE than irresponsible. He should have been tried for attempted murder!
Lmao you can’t be serious!
Let me come to your house and put my dogs on you and see if you’re light hearted about it.
Oh you. There’s a difference here, maybe you will see it…no one in this unfortunate situation was trying to kill anyone. Please refrain from such stupid comments and do us all a favour on CNS, don’t make us again roll our eyes in unison after reading your comment about this being an attempted murder situation. Silly, just silly indeed.
Saved for how long? The Chinese are coming…
You mean the Koreans and Phillipinas!!!! 1047? Mr. Poodle Noodle soup just why are they not putting down the iguanas and ordering them all killed!!!! We need to focus on eradication and total destruction humanely of feral iguanas, dogs and cats. While we are at itwe should penalize loitering and homelessness because they are a health hazard. We need rules in society. The great British people gave us great rules and police. We need to go back to an orderly society.
Keep taking the tablets 9.43, one day they may work. Doubtful, but worth a try.
You mean the once great British people? I grew up in the UK in the 70s and it was a lovely place.
I have so much to be thankful for.
Now, it is a liberal cesspit of the worst values society can offer.