BIBA IS HOME! Stolen 2nd July 2009 Reunited 2nd October 2013.
What a journey this has been for Jackie Barozzi who never gave up the fight to get Biba home. Jackie was called via the microchip data after Biba was picked up as a stray, (190 miles away from home) on 19th August 2013 and despite being microchipped with a Crime Reference Number from Thames Valley Police, Salford Dog Home and Council chose to give Biba to another owner with no proof of ownership! (We have seen Biba’s release papers!) Greater Manchester Police would not seize Biba, after a request from Thames Valley Police! (How can that happen?)
Jackie was told that the Environmental Protection (Stray Dogs) Regulations 1992 require that a register of seized dogs must contain inter alia ‘where the dog was returned to a person claiming to be its owner, the name and address of that person, and the date of return’. That register is a public document and under s.149 (8) the Council must ensure that it is ‘available, at all reasonable times, for inspection by the public free of charge’. It’s a public record so anybody can go to inspect the register.
Once the details of the person who claimed Biba were received, Jackie sent the man a registered letter, on the 16th September’13 to say that she was the true owner of Biba stating that they had the dog without her licence authority or consent and that if the dog is not returned within 7 days that she would apply to the County Court for a declaration of ownership, an order for the dog’s return and damages for wrongful retention. No reply was received and therefore Jackie started to get the paperwork together to go to the County Court.
On Monday 30th September, you can imagine Jackie’s surprise when she received a call from a Manchester Dog Warden who had just picked Biba up as a stray. The Dog Warden was aware of Biba’s story and after a brief conversation, Jackie was told that she could definitely pick Biba up and under the circumstances she didn’t have to wait the full seven days in case ‘an owner’ came forward!
A couple of hours later Jackie got the dreaded call to say “the other owner had come forward again to claim Biba and that Manchester Dog Home could not release Biba to Jackie until they consulted lawyers”. It was happening all over again!
Petlog, Thames Valley Police, Doglost and Vets Get Scanning all rallied round to help Jackie and Biba and by midday yesterday, 1st October’13, Jackie was told she could pick Biba up today! Thank you Rachel Davies who is the Animal Welfare Officer of Manchester City Council who over ruled the Dog Wardens at Manchester Dog Home! Biba was returned to Jackie because there is a Crime Reference Number and Biba is stolen ‘goods’.
Justice, at last, has been done, albeit in a roundabout way! But we need to make sure that returning a microchipped dog to it’s registered owner is a ‘standard operational procedure’ for councils, rescues and vets. Why should you have to wait seven days to get your dog back if it is in a holding kennel in case another owner comes forward and why should you be the one to go to the County Court to prove ownership when the microchip carries your data and you are the first person the Dog Warden calls?
Huge loopholes in the microchip system exist and unless ‘WE’ as owners of microchipped pets join together nothing will change and you could be the next person in this position with your precious pet!
WE NEED TO MAKE A MICROCHIP PROOF OF OWNERSHIP AND THE SCANNING FOR MICROCHIPS TO BE MADE COMPULSORY. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SHARE THIS STORY!http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/50401
Congratulations Jackie and Biba and not forgetting Boss, Biba’s old playmate. Right now they are snuggled up on the back seat of Jackie’s car ready for the long journey home! A HAPPY ENDING!
Message from Jackie:- Jackie Barozzi
All thanks to Petlog, Doglost who introduced me to vetsgetscanning who worked so hard for us, without her help she would not be home! Please sign their petition and hopefully our story gives hope to everyone missing their pets – no matter how much time passes Never Give Up Hope! I must also thank Rachel Davies who is the Animal Welfare Officer of Manchester City Council for listening to me when she called to say that Biba had been picked up in Manchester City Centre. She over ruled the Dog Warden. Unlike Salford dog wardens and Council who gave her away the day after calling me! Rachel made sure Biba was hidden away and refused to hand her over to the other “owner” who again tried to claim her!
Yesterday was the longest day, Boss and I drove 200 miles to pick Biba up but once she was in the car, it was all over! She had a great night, bathed, fed, snuggled up with Boss – brilliant
Thanks everyone for your kind messages xx
ORIGINAL POST:-This is BIBA’s story! She was stolen on the 2nd July 2009 and was picked up by a dog warden 193 miles away on 19th August 2013. This heartbreaking story will make you question why anyone microchips their pets! Unbelievably the microchip is not proof of ownership, something we want to change in our petition.http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/50401
Jackie Barozzi tells us her story:-
“A dog warden in Manchester and Manchester Police have made a mockery of micro-chipping and we are heartbroken all over again!
One of our two Jack Russell’s was stolen on 2 July 2009 along with several other dogs in the area (Bradfield, nr Reading in Berkshire).The police issued a crime reference number and we put up posters and registered our loss with dogslost.co.uk and other agencies. Our other JR named Boss pined dreadfully for his mate, Biba and has never been the same. We imagined poor Biba in so many horrific situations.
Imagine my euphoria when a call came from Salford Dog Warden at 10 am on Monday 19 August to say Biba had been found!!!
I called the whole family, we were so excited! The warden said that she looked OK but was very fat (pregnant?) I asked her for their postcode in order to make arrangements to bring her home asap. The warden said I would have to wait 3 days which in my excitement I didn’t question. After 4 years another 3 days was OK!!!
The following day the same warden called me for more details, the CRN from the police etc etc. I said I’d call her back immediately but when I did, she told me “bad news I’m afraid – Biba has been claimed by a man who is coming to collect her today saying he bought her legitimately”
I think I screamed in disbelief!
“But you called me, you traced me via the micro-chip, you can’t give her to anyone!”
To cut a very long and distressing story shorter, Thames Valley police called the warden and asked them to keep hold off the dog as it was stolen. They called and emailed Manchester police to seize the dog. They refused.
BIBA HAS BEEN STOLEN AGAIN AIDED BY THIS DOG WARDEN.
Petlog have re-listed her as stolen and with last known whereabouts now in Manchester. The police there did visit the address she was taken to after repeated requests from Thames Valley, but say as she was bought in good faith they will not seize her. The claimants have changed their story from buying her in Newbury 3 years ago, buying her off Gumtree in Slough and then buying her off Gumtree in Manchester!!
We have exhausted all avenues we and dogslost can think off, please if anyone can help please contact us.
Petlog tell me that dogs are re-united via micro-chipping after many more years than that and we certainly never gave up hope. We were ecstatic and so glad we had chipped our dogs.
After 4 long years we found her one day and had her stolen again the very next morning!!! This is cruel and so wrong!”
We all need to write to our MP’s to include , microchip ownership issues and compulsory scanning of all dogs in the new legislation which is being prepared now for the introduction of compulsory microchipping. To find your MP, click herehttp://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ To sign the petition for the Government to take action, click herehttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/50401
THIS IS AN ON GOING STORY. JACKIE THE OWNER HAS BEEN GIVEN THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PERSON WHO CLAIMED BIBA AND HAS WRIITEN A LETTER DEMANDING HER RETURN WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. IF SHE DOES NOT HEAR ANYTHING BY THE 24TH SEPTEMBER’13, JACKIE WILL START LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TO GET BIBA BACK HOME WHERE SHE BELONGS!
