An incident happened involving Flame that resulted in a friend's child accidentally getting caught by Flame's bottom teeth when she was surprised by another dog and went to bark. As a result, Flame was seized by the police, and held safe in kennels.

As Jack was in charge of Flame at the time (she was on lead and harness) he has been reported for the offence of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place. The law is very harsh because no intent or recklessness is required for liability and a person can be found guilty of this offence even if the dog was on a lead and had never behaved in such a manner previously, which Flame hasn't.

If the dog is alleged to have injured a person, this is an aggravated offence. Where an aggravated offence is proven the court must order the destruction of the dog unless it is satisfied you are a suitable owner and there is no risk to the public.

It's very important for you to know that the child and his mother don't blame Flame or us and ask for the police to drop the matter.

We immediately started to build a case to support her good nature as we go through the court process. This involved paying £800 for an independent expert witness to assess her and testify when the case goes to court and a police interview for Jack and a dog law specialist solicitor which cost £180 plus an additional £1500 when we attend court.

Flame has had her assessment and according to the expert, "passed with flying colours" this has lead to Flame being allowed home, until the trial, much to our relief. She's not safe yet but at least she's not isolated and stressed kept in kennels with no contact with her family.

The next stage is the court date where Flame and Jack's final fate will be decided, penalties for these offences can include a fine, imprisonment and the destruction of the dog. A court can also disqualify Jack from keeping a dog and order compensation be paid to the victim. These outcomes don't even include the boarding/medication fees and court costs which will be added at the end. The boarding fees are charged at £17.50 per day, and Flame was in police kennels for a total of 21 days (£365)plus the added charge of her Hypothyroid medication and vet vist.

Anybody who has met Flame can tell you how gentle and well behaved she is, from the moment we met her at RSPCA Coventry we knew we needed this smart and loving dog in our lives. Rescued from what we were told was an awful animal cruelty situation she had become a firm favourite amongst the staff. 

Her loving nature and bond with Jack has helped him survive his mental health and physical conditions. Jack discovered early on how smart Flame is and together learnt what she could do to help. Everything from picking up dropped items and opening her food cupboards and doors, to entertaining by showing of her acting skills, being shot and playing dead. They are inseparable, helping Jack back into work by joining him at workshops and letting him know when to stop, by timely demanding fuss. Flame has always shown her gentle side with children and particularly silvered haired friend. Her gentle and social nature made her a welcome guest at gaming conventions and events.


The negative impact of the court case includes the chance that Flame may still be destroyed, in addition the financial burden of fighting has been hard considering Jack's limited work for the last few years. Plus the impact of an unlimited fine and a criminal record make the future look quite grim. The emotional blow of losing Flame would be devastating to our family.

We have already reached out to some of our friends who know Flame for letters from people who know us and Flame. The letters must stick to who you are and how you know us and not offer comment on the incident. Accounts of Flame's gentle personality and examples of your interactions, trust and feelings of her are welcome. You are not witnesses and the letters are not statements so you don’t need to come to court, but they must have name and address and be signed and dated.

But now we have had to make the hard decision to ask for financial help
Please don't feel obliged to do this! We have got in contact because of your interactions with Flame and have expressed trust and love for her. All our love Jack and Cara