posted October 13, 2005 07:46 AM         

quote:

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HEARTBROKEN mum Becky Lynch sobbed yesterday after learning that a dog pictured in The Sun hanging from a tree was her beloved dalmatian Spot.

Our horrific photo of the dead pet on Tuesday outraged the nation — and brought calls for the sadistic culprit to be given a lengthy jail sentence.

Becky, a bank customer services officer, was given Spot as a birthday gift by her partner Andy Hartley.

She said: “He was my beautiful birthday boy. How anyone could do this to a lovable animal defies belief.

“If they catch the people responsible they should lock them up and throw away the key.

“If whoever responsible can do this to an innocent dog, what on earth could they do to a child?”

Spot’s plight helped trigger our campaign to stamp out animal cruelty.

The Sun has put up a £5,000 reward to nail whoever who tied a rope with a noose on the end 20ft up a silver birch tree — and then let tormented Spot dangle.

His body was found in a copse at Carlton Marsh nature reserve at Cudworth near Barnsley, South Yorks, last week.

But Becky, 32, and Andy, 35, only learned the truth yesterday afternoon in a phone call from the RSPCA following a harrowing 18-hour wait.

A scanner check on the dead dog’s identity microchip had finally confirmed it was Spot.

Andy hugged Becky as she broke down in tears.

He said: “Spot was just 11 months old — big, boisterous and full of mischief.

“He was a lovable dog but was always looking for an opportunity to escape and explore. Last Wednesday he bounded through the open door and squeezed through a gap in railings at the front of the house.”

Andy searched the neighbourhood for Spot. The couple’s two sons James, 12 and Ben, six, joined in the hunt and sought help from school pals.

Andy reported Spot missing to Barnsley police. But he and Becky got their first clue to Spot’s fate when they saw the ghastly picture.

Andy said: “It was horrifying to learn that way. We’d heard nothing from the police.”

Becky said yesterday: “We are still in deep shock. We were praying the dog in the picture was not Spot. But we live only two miles from the scene and the formation of spots was exactly the same as Spot’s.

“We had to brace ourselves because there were just too many coincidences.”

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It's heartbreaking - I can only begin to imagine her grief
I hope they find those responsible. They cannot get away with it. How would they feel if members of their family were strung up??

posted October 13, 2005 09:22 AM         

The pictures in today's issue of the newspaper, not the online version, with other animals are also shocking. Well shocking for a tabloid. The idea that this is going on right now globally is overwhelming for me thinking about it.

I commend The Sun for doing this at last. People need to be more aware of it, and the message must be that cruelty to animals is completely unacceptable.

What can we do that isn't already being done?

How do you raise someone's consciousness that is so intent on cruelty?

posted October 13, 2005 01:54 PM         

Love and Light for Becky Lynch and Andy Hartley... May spot walk peacfuly across the Great Rainbow Bridge.

posted October 15, 2005 12:33 AM         

May he rest in peace....and I pray for the owners who had to live through this tragic time in their life.

Pixie Dust