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IN PHOTO: A dog looks at the body of Vladimir Churilov, who was killed by recent shelling, as it lies on a snow covered street in the Azotny district in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, December 5, 2014. Churilov was out walking with his wife in the neighbourhood when they were hit by a shelling attack, which left him dead and his wife with severe injuries. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic

Lawyers defending Izzy, a Victorian dog on death row, believe that their client did not receive a fair trial. Knox City Council put the dog on death row in June 2013 after it had bitten a woman’s finger.

The Staffordshire terrier attacked another dog in 2013. When the victim tried stopping it, she suffered a 1.5-centimetre laceration.

Tania Isbester, Izzy’s owner, appealed the execution to the highest court as she argued that the decision-makers at the council had been biased against the animal. She said the fight was not only for her pet, further explaining that it was to protect any other animal that would go through similar situations in future.

According to Isbester, a pet behaviourist found after testing the dog that it had strong affection for humans. The owner argued that the decision-makers, instead of giving a death sentence, could have imposed $500 to reorient the animal.

"It is too quick to then decide to destroy a dog that has been, by a professional, told is very human affectionate," Isbester said, "To destroy an animal or any living thing is not the first answer to be thought of. It's just inappropriate.” She said that Izzy was missed greatly as it was believed that it was unjust that the animal was in such a situation. The owner called the death sentence “unfair” and “irrational.”

It will apparently take a number of months before the High Court comes to a decision about Izzy. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is keeping the dog under lock and key at the moment. The cost of keeping the animal for more than two years is believed to be $12,000.

Jock, another dog belonging to Isbester, was involved in a number of attacks in 2012 and 2013. Both Izzy and Jock were involved in attacking people and other dogs in Melbourne’s east. Jock faced death sentence but the owner decided to challenge the council’s decision to execute Izzy.

Isbester pleaded guilty to the charge against Izzy. Angelo Kourambas, a member of the panel, wrote to her after the decision that the owner did not take appropriate steps to control Izzy’s aggression toward other dogs.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au

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