Millionaire builder's three pet dogs killed hens and bit man's face
Millionaire builder’s three pet Turkish Kangals go on a rampage ransacking a neighbour’s garden killing all their hens, biting a man in the face and chasing a terrified jogger before being seized
- Dr Anwar Ansari’s pets were seized following the wild rampage
- Neil O’Rourke was savaged as he tried to protect his husky-cross from hounds
A multi-millionaire builder has had his three pet dogs seized after they ran amok, biting one man in the face, chasing a terrified jogger and ransacking a neighbour’s garden, killing all their hens.
Construction boss Dr Anwar Ansari – who has donated £20,000 to support London Mayor Sadiq Khan – had his Turkish Kangals taken away last Friday after they went on the rampage.
The huge hounds- traditionally used by shepherds in Turkey to ward away wolves – savaged Neil O’Rourke so badly he was left covered in blood.
He had dived on top of his 10-year-old husky-cross – Ziggy – to stop the dogs from tearing his beloved pet apart.
Mr O’Rourke, 46, a construction project manager, was taken to hospital after suffering bite wounds to both his hands, his left arm, his left ear and cheek.
Dr Anwar Ansari had his three Turkish Kangals seized after they went on a wild rampage
The three hounds bit one man in the face, chased after a runner, and killed all of a neighbour’s hens
Neil O’Rourke was covered in blood after trying to protect his dog Ziggy
But the three dogs bit the husky-cross on the back and under the jaw
Ziggy was bitten on the back and under the jaw and required 25-stitches.
The attack – which happened in Lloyd Park in Croydon, close to where Dr Ansari has a gated-off compound, is at least the fourth time his dogs have struck after getting loose.
They were removed from his care in April after two attacks on other dogs but were later returned under strict conditions that he make sure they were kept somewhere secure.
However, around 6am Friday morning they got free and wandered into a neighbour’s garden where they targeted a chicken coop and ripped apart three hens. One died instantly and two others had to be euthanised because of their injuries.
They then ran into nearby Lloyd Park, where they chased a man out jogging, before pouncing on Ziggy and Mr O’Rourke in the car park.
He told MailOnline: ‘I’d just opened the boot up to let Ziggy out for his morning walk and I saw these three dogs bounding straight towards us off the leads. They looked more like bears.
‘I wasn’t too concerned at first because I thought they’d be friendly and the owner wouldn’t be too far away.
‘But when they got closer they launched themselves at Ziggy, one swiping at his back leg and another sank its teeth into his back.
‘Ziggy started to howl and yelp in pain so instinctively I jumped on top of him to make sure the three bigger dogs couldn’t get at him.
‘They were attacking me and I was screaming and shouting. I thought they were going to rip me apart.’
The commotion alerted a man teaching yoga and a tennis player who raced to his aid.
Ziggy required 25 stitches after being attacked by the out-of-control pets
The hounds then ran into a neighbour’s farm where they killed all of the chickens
Mr O’Rourke added: ‘They managed to fend off the dogs. The tennis player was swishing his racket at them which seemed to back them off.
‘The police came and my hoodie was spattered with blood. But I could’ve been more seriously hurt or even killed. As could Ziggy.
‘What would’ve happened had they attacked a child? The owner has to be held accountable.
‘It’s not the first or second time these dogs have gone on the attack. I’m considering legal action against Dr Ansari because to get Ziggy treated at the vets has cost a small fortune.’
Before the dogs had got into the park, they invaded the back garden of one of Dr Ansari’s neighbours.
Recruitment manager Luke James, 50, his wife, their 24-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son, were left trapped inside their home for half an hour.
They watched in horror as the dogs broke down wire fencing surrounding a chicken coop and then attacked their three hens inside.
Mr James, who filmed the incident on his mobile phone, said: ‘There was blood and feathers everywhere. The dogs were acting as though they were in a pack and this was their territory. It was very intimidating and frightening.
‘While the dogs were in the garden, sniffing around the hen carcass, we couldn’t go out. But they were getting closer and closer to our house.
‘At one point my daughter banged a window to try and scare one away but as she did so her hand cracked the glass and she cut herself.
‘They were barking and growling at our pet whippet, who luckily was inside the house. He wouldn’t have stood a chance as these dogs were massive and there were three of them.
‘The dogs eventually moved into the park and when it was safe to do so, I followed them at a distance and tried to warn people.
‘I also called Dr Ansari on his phone and he eventually came down with his sons to gather the dogs. But the police arrived soon afterwards and the dogs were confiscated for a second time.
‘Those dogs are a menace, they are out of control and it’s lucky that someone hasn’t yet been killed. I don’t think Dr Ansari should be allowed to keep powerful animals like this.’
Turkish Kangals are traditionally bred in Turkey to help shepherds ward off wolves
Dr Ansari previously donated £20,000 to Sadiq Khan’s mayoral campaign
The dogs were taken by police for the second time in three months after they had been removed following attacks on two separate dogs.
One of them was a rescue dog from Romania, bitten horribly by two of the dogs in Lloyd Park on March 2.
Owner Molly Bresnahan said: ‘I don’t know how they could have been returned.
‘My dog, Rascal, was attacked while taking his daily walk without any provocation – they chased him down and pinned him to the floor and bit him.
‘He had nasty bites on his shoulders and neck – my flatmate who was walking him at the time – has no doubt they would have killed Rascal had he not distracted them.
‘He was put in a position where he feared quite frankly for his life, they circled him growling and looking to attack until they ran off.
‘It makes me feel sick to my stomach when I think that my dog -or worse, someone’s child – could have been killed.’
Nicky and Mick Dell were walking their Golden Doodle in Lloyd Park in February when they had a similar scare.
Nicky, 46, said: ‘They bolted straight at us and our dog, who is much smaller, ran off. They chased her and she looped round and my husband managed to get hold of her in his arms.
‘My husband is 6ft8 but these dogs were jumping up at him growling and barking as they were trying to get our dog.
‘Fortunately these two were alerted by some thing else in the park and ran off.
‘But it could have so easily have turned very nasty, especially if we’d had our nine-year-old daughter with us at the time.
‘I don’t blame them – I blame the owner – he doesn’t care for them properly and lets them get loose without having much of an interest in getting them back. It’s as if he lets them roam free.’
The dogs escaped from a former farmyard Dr Ansari has turned into a working compound complete with mosque, offices and flats.
The dogs escaped from a former farmyard developed by Dr Ansari into a compound with mosque, offices and flats
They ran wild in Lloyd Park Croydon where they attacked Mr O’Rourke’s pet Ziggy while he was out for a walk
He lives in a six-bedroom mansion five miles south in Caterham but doesn’t take the dogs home with him.
Dr Ansari declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.
His firm AA Homes and Housing has won lucrative government contracts to build private offices and homes as well as social housing and boasts assets totalling £80million.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed: ‘On Friday, 21 July police were called to an address on Oaks Road, Croydon in which three dogs were reported to have entered an area of land and killed a chicken. Two other chickens were injured and later put down.
‘Later the same morning, officers attended Lloyd Park, to a report of a man being attacked by three dogs. He was found with a number of injuries; these were not life threatening.
‘The dogs were seized by police on the same day.
‘Enquiries are ongoing; no arrests have been made.’
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