Ex-husband whose Mastiff mauled his mother-in-law to death launches court battle to SAVE his pet from lethal injection

UNITED KINGDOM -- A dog owner whose Mastiff was one of five dogs to maul his former mother-in-law to death has launched a bid to save his pet from being destroyed.

Dylan Mason, 44, is going to court to try to save his dog Ranger from the lethal injection - one of a group which savaged Gloria Knowles, 71, in October.

The five animals pounced on the grandmother after she went into the garden to take down washing for her daughter, Beverley Mason.

The widow was badly injured when the dogs – two 'giant' Bordeaux French mastiffs, two American bulldogs and a small mongrel – suddenly turned on her.

She was found dead at the scene in Morden, South London, and is believed to have bled to death as a result of her injuries.

Three of the animals - belonging to Mrs Knowles's daughter Beverley - have been since been put to sleep.  A French mastiff called Yogi and bulldogs Missy and Lemmie were humanely destroyed by lethal injections.

Now she insists her ex-husband and a third dog owner, who officers have identified only as Ms Azzoni, should follow suit and destroy their dogs.

She told the Mirror that she loved her dogs, but nothing was worth more than her mother's life. She said: 'I can’t believe he is arguing that the dog should be kept alive when it killed my mum. It’s just evil.'

She added that now they had tasted her mother's blood and now must be put down.

Mother-of-four Mrs Mason, 43, who has a son Kurtis, 12, with her former partner, told the paper: 'The court case is just dragging everything out when it is clear the dogs all touched my mum, there is evidence of that. My mum was everything. She was my rock. Losing her has been devastating for us all.'

The Met has said that the remaining two dogs are dangerous and must be killed.

A spokesman said: 'The hearing for the destruction of two dogs will be held at Wimbledon magistrates between 9 and 11 October.

'There is court hearing upcoming in October, and that is when the Met will give its evidence.'

At the trial Mr Mason and the owner of the other dog will argue that they dispute the evidence that their animals were involved in the attack.

Mrs Knowles lived next door to her daughter, with her granddaughter, who has a baby of her own. The family has run Harrington's pie and mash shop in nearby Tooting, for several generations.

Mrs Mason said she has owned dogs her entire life and had no idea why her dogs - which she insists were normally well behaved - would have turned on her mother.

She said the family had had them since they were puppies and they were well trained. She said they would often sit with them on the sofa. She said she has decided to keep her mother's dogs, Bo, Amber and Tia, for her, but that she finds it difficult to trust them

An inquest is expected to take place on September 25 in Westminster, Central London.

The dogs have been reportedly homes in Met-approved kennels since the incident - which has a cost £15 per dog per day.

(Daily Mail - Aug 9 2013)

Earlier:

• Great-gran dies after being mauled by daughter's five dogs