[docmartin]

Thanks again for all the good wishes. The Dog warden came today and I gave him a statement, accompanied by the witnesses details and photo's of my bruises etc. The young woman has been warned TWICE before in the past six months for having her dogs off leash on a public walkway. The dogs are not vicious, just very boisterous and could easily have injured a small creature like little Crystal at just 7lbs. I was bought up with an Airedale and a full pedigree English Bull Terrier (Ralph), my dear old friend who used to tolerate a little boy tackling him at Football (soccer) and treating me like any old prize fighter would a new kid learning the ropes. Dad used to keep them both on a lead and they were OK with that and never attacked either people or dogs. Indeed 'Ralph' used to act as a bodyguard for our neighbours little Dachshund and was just an old softy with cats too. The warden thinks she has them for protection and coalesced with my feelings that their intrinsically good dogs, well looked after who just need more control. As far as their mistress is concerned ~ well she's just the product of a modern world bereft of social decency.