Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for a Perthshire dog kennels to be shut down after its owner apparently made “discriminatory” comments about Staffordshire Bull Terriers on social media.
An online storm erupted when a comment seemingly posted by the Conalter Boarding Kennels at Crieff began circulating on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend.
Responding to a review by a dog owner who claimed the kennels had refused to look after her Staffy, the Kennel’s reply states: “Staffordshire bull terriers ugly, aggressive animals. Much like their owners really.”
After its Facebook page was bombarded with messages from outraged dog owners, the business posted an update: “This is addressed to all those who left messages about Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
“Thank you for your views. I am glad so many of you took the trouble to visit our page. It’s a pity none of you have ever visited the kennels.”
However the attempt to avert a PR disaster didn’t seem to work.
On Saturday morning, dog lover Natalie Holmes launched a petition on website Change.org.
Naming her petition “Have Conalter Boarding Kennels shut down” and directing it to Perth and Kinross Council, she claims that the business has refused to board Staffordshire Bull Terriers and quotes the offending post.
“Therefore, due to the unprofessional approach and lack of knowledge and integrity, this boarding kennels deserves nothing less than to be shut down,” she stated.
By Sunday morning, the petition had raised 1,700 signatures from across the UK.
Since the message went viral, Conalter’s Facebook page and website have gone offline.
Shena Hogg – who opened the business with Nigel Hogg five years ago -said she is considering going to the police, stating the comment on her company’s Facebook page may have been placed by a hacker.
She said: “I don’t know how it got there. Someone put it there at 1am and I knew nothing about it.”
“That comment started the whole thing and it was nothing to do with me.
“I’m not internet-savvy and don’t know enough about it to know how it could have got there.
“It is somebody being stupid. It’s a daft thing to say . It’s like somebody is trying to stir things up and it’s extremely hurtful people are saying the business should be shut down.
“I’ve contemplated getting in touch with the police about the nasty, threatening comments I have had since.
“I’ve had to take my own Facebook page down as well.”
Shena, 60, said she had placed an apology on the company website which crashed as so many people visited.
“They were to the effect that the offensive comments were nothing to do with me and I wouldn’t say that.”
She said the kennel has a strict policy of not housing staffordshire bull terriers because of their reputation, stating they cannot always be trusted around strangers.
She added: “It all started because I said to a potential customer we don’t take them as a matter of policy.
“I know there are some that are lovely but…I won’t take the risk because I have children and grandchildren here it’s a blanket policy.”
See Monday’s Courier for more on this story.