After my reading of your comment where you were face to face with travellers and their dogs, be comforted by the fact the Police actually sent someone to see you.
Following the savage attack and killing of my Jack Russell Puppy by what Police described as a dog not on the list of Dangerous Dogs, (the Japanese Aikita), on 7th August as reported by Shields Gazette Friday 11th August, I contacted Police and was told there was nothing much that could be done after the incident unless the owner could be traced. If I can trace the owner ring back.
Two Days later after amazing community support and detection help, plus my local Dog Warden, the owner was tracked down. I phoned the Police and gave them this information. This time the incident was logged and I was told, as you probably were at the time, it's non urgent but an officer would be round to see me as soon as possible. After nine hours a phone call from South Tyneside Area command informed me there was nothing that could be done, the incident is dog on dog so the Police can not do anything. So unlike yourself I can not even consider having the owner visited to warn them even of this horrific incident. They were responsible for it as the Aikita was not on a lead, and they didn't have any control over it in a public place. This to me is frightening, Aikita's are very powerful dangerous dogs and on this occasion I'm lucky really the dog decided to attack my pup and not my daughter who was in the process of picking up the pup when the Aikita struck. How can we bleat on about taking Animal Welfare seriously if this can go unpunished, please maybe you can help me answer this as I'm recieving closed doors at every turn, even the RSPCA claimed the dog on dog thing. Have our domestic pets any rights against these predators walking casually amongst us, daily in public areas. Or will it be 1990's again where the law wont be changed until one of these beasts attacks a child.A warning, an average toddler would stand as much chance as my puppy did against these Japanese Aikita's. Read temperament etc on a great info on dogs site at www.dogbreedinfo.com - firstly read Aikita then read Tosa which is on the Dangerous Dog Act list. Explain the difference in temperamental background, if anything Aikita poses more of a threat to the public than the Tosa, thus the Act needs looking at and changed fast before we are talking about a childs death. That wont be a subject I'd smile about saying I told you so.

Thanks for your time, I'm not leaving this matter unheard and propose a meeting with David Miliband to see what he's going to do about this threat now he's aware of it and it's right on his door step.

Michael Allen
Father of teenager on front of paper holding picture of her pup.