A puppy was detained for biting a police officer, and Twitter came to the rescue with #FreeBungle
If there’s one thing we know to be true in this life, it’s that puppies are adorable. And also that puppies screw up a lot. So we honestly weren’t too surprised to find out that a four-month old Chow-Chow named Bungle bit a U.K. police officer while scared and afraid on November 17th (Bungle had apparently wandered away from his owners). What we are surprised by? The officer officially detained Bungle…meaning the puppy could spend up to nine months away from home.
However, Twitter was quickly on the case, sharing the story along with the hashtag #FreeBungle.
Bungle the chow-chow puppy bit a police officer – he faces months away from his family. Now the #FreeBungle campaign is gaining support 🐕 https://t.co/DMXUzoHaeS @ITVCentral pic.twitter.com/8V50K1FLG0
— Tejinder Kaur (@TejinderITV) November 22, 2018
@NorthantsPolice Wouldn’t your officers be better off pursuing actual dog thieves that seem to be becoming so commonplace rather than taking innocent animals away from their happy families and incarcerating them at a critical stage in their development? I’m disgusted. #freebungle
— Michael Fabricant’s hair (@nashers78) November 22, 2018
What a ridiculous waste of money. 'It will remain under the care of the Force’s Dog Legislation Officer while the full circumstances of the incident are investigated. ' what circumstances do you need to establish?! Is the dog giving an interview? #freebungle
— ❤ Katy Jenner ❤ (@misskfrost) November 22, 2018
This pup is 4 months old – puppies nip, it's what they do and he was scared! DDA gone mad (or madder than usual) Free Bungle the Jailed Chow Pup #FreeBungle – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/zNAl3XtSBA via @UKChange
— Michele Spencer Lees (@morticia_adams) November 22, 2018
#freebungle This is appalling & both the council & police should be ashamed of themselves! Look at the situation! This poor dog was scared & u made it worse! Take it on the chin & accept you're at fault. #EnoughIsEnough#endbsl @Team_DDAWatch @SaveABulls https://t.co/tmLN36X1ML
— Ariana Williams #RTTG #socialist 🇺🇦 (@Ariana_Activist) November 21, 2018
Could you imagine arresting a good boy like this? #FreeBungle https://t.co/lDemyYSVIs
— Norm Kelly (@norm) November 23, 2018
According to BBC News, a national petition was created demanding Bungle’s release, and the story even made the cover of The Sun, a popular British paper. And good news: Bungle was officially returned to his owners on November 22nd. However, Chief Superintendent Chris Hillery made it clear the decision had nothing to do with the media or the public outcry.
"To be absolutely clear, I fully support the officers’ actions in this case," he said in a statement. "The dog was unattended in a live carriageway and was aggressive to those present resulting in the officer being bitten and receiving injuries that required hospital attention."
As happy as we are that Bungle is home safe, we also can’t help but think about all the other sweet doggos that don’t get this kind of special attention merely because they’re less “cute” and fluffy. Speaking with the BBC, a dog-welfare expert named Sam Gaines said, “It is incredibly sad that Bungle has been seized, but there are lots of other dogs that sadly get seized on a regular basis and whose welfare is compromised.” Gaines noted that there likely wouldn’t have been public outcry if Bungle were, say, a Pitbull puppy.
What are your thoughts on this debacle?
