Police deliberately kill dog running loose on dual carriageway to 'prevent crash'

Police in North Wales have deliberately run over and killed a dog that was running loose on a dual carriageway. The dog, a foxhound, was said to have been running into oncoming traffic on the A55 between the Llanfairfechan roundabout and the Conwy tunnel on Tuesday 24 February at around 3.30am.

Police said that had previously attempted to bring the animal under control, with one officer bitten as it ran away. The dog continued to run in and out of traffic in the middle of the unlit road forcing cars and an HGV to swerve as police watched from the carriageway.

The decision was made that, as the dog had "posed a serious threat to motorists" travelling on the road, the only safe option was to kill it by running the dog over at a "sufficient speed". The force said the decision to kill the animal was not taken "lightly".

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing of North Wales Police said: "The only safe option was to run the dog over at sufficient speed to ensure that it was destroyed and would not suffer. Other methods of destruction were considered, but were ruled out on the grounds of public safety."

Ch Insp Wareing added for the sake of the traffic, travelling in excess of 70mph, it was necessary to bring a swift conclusion to the incident. He said: "One car and an HGV had to swerve to avoid the dog whilst the officers remained on foot in the carriageway.

"Both officers have their own dogs and did not take this decision lightly. Due to the seriousness of the incident it needed bringing to a conclusion quickly for the safety of all concerned."

But the decision to run over the dog was criticised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) director Mimi Bekhechi, who told the MailOnline: "Law-enforcement officers are entrusted with protecting the innocent and the vulnerable.

"And that does not include deliberately running them over with the intent to kill. This could just as easily have been a frightened human being or someone with a mental illness. These officers desperately need a crash course in humane animal control if they believe that crushing a dog under a vehicle was the best or only available option."