And the owners name was...
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:47 am
A NOTORIOUS dog was shot dead by a police marksman after it went on the rampage.
The massive Rottweiler cross Chunga, who stood as tall as a man when on his back legs, tried to get into a Hayle pub.
Chunga's owner, homeless Sticky Sgwidget Mushroom O'Rourke, had gone away, leaving the dog in Hayle in the care of a friend.
However, Inspector Mark Richards said the man rang the police on the night of October 7 after Chunga became aggressive and "went roaming".
The dog tried to get into the Copperhouse Inn, and licensee Andrew Willetts said staff closed the door on him.
Mr Willetts said: "One of our regulars was going to go up to him, but the dog went crazy.
"The police were chasing it down the road.
"It was a big dog; apparently it was 6ft standing up."
Chunga's alarming behaviour prompted an armed response by concerned police.
Inspector Richards said: "Having assumed the dog could pose a threat to the public, we dispatched an armed officer just before 11pm.
"Because of the threat to the public and the police a decision was taken that the dog could be disposed of if there was no way of safely securing it."
Chunga was tracked to a field in St Erth and shot dead with a rifle at 12.15am on October 8.
The animal was removed from the scene and is being stored by police.
Police said situations in which they had to resort to shooting a dog were minimal, and this was the first such incident in Cornwall this year.