Owner of Freddie Mercury seal attack dog will not face criminal charges
A barrister will not face criminal charges after her dog attacked a seal nicknamed Freddie Mercury last weekend, leading to the animal being euthanised.
The young common seal, which had been given the name in honour of the late Queen singer by walkers in Barnes, west London, was bitten by the dog on Sunday.
Freddie was found to have a fractured flipper and a dislocated joint, with veterinarians at South Essex Wildlife Hospital concluding the “only ethical and fair option” was to put him to sleep.
The dog’s owner, Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC, has since said she was “heartbroken by this terrible accident” and apologised.
“As an animal lover, I fully understand the dismay that has been expressed. I apologise unreservedly for what happened.”
“In hindsight, I wish, of course, that the dog had been on a lead but at the time it did not seem necessary,” Sabben-Clare said today.
No further action
Earlier today, the Metropolitan Police said there would be no criminal action or further investigation taken by police.
A force spokesperson said: “Police have investigated the death of a seal after it was injured by a dog on the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge.
“Officers attended the location at approximately 12.39hrs on Sunday March 21 along with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade.
“Following the investigation, there will be no further criminal investigation or criminal action taken by police in regards to this matter.”
Sabben-Clare was interviewed by the RSPCA, who said as it was not a case of deliberate cruelty it was not an incident they would investigate.
The charity said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and that it highlighted the need to keep dogs on leads near wild animals.