Not worth waiting for…

James Lech has finally released “Part 1” of his statement on the “incident” on Clifton beach. You can read it here, nestled neatly below an ad for yet another Pack Walk – this time in the Full Moon (rather you than me) – and a recipe for completely harmless Raw Cauliflower, Cashew and Chilli Mash.
That said, it’s probably not worth the effort of the clickthrough:

Learning is a Gift. Even when pain is your teacher.
Accidents are unfortunate, traumatic events that often have dire consequences. I have learned a hard lesson. Yet, I am not the first in my profession to be faced with this kind of challenge and I undertake to be more vigilant around such cases in the future. D has made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation process and has become a treasured pet and a valued member of my pack. I stand by my business ethic and rehabilitation practice as will be supported by the positive results and outcomes experienced by many dog owners and their pets, who have benefited from my assistance in South Africa and abroad over the past several years.

Unfortunately, due to this matter still being under official investigation that involves other parties, I am not yet at liberty to release documentation, reports and or specific details regarding the incident. Once the investigation has been completed and officially assessed, I shall then be given permission to publish material and information. We are working hard at fast tracking everything.

Meanwhile, Lech has been asked to remove more dodgy claims from his website:

Camps Bay “Dog Whisperer” James Lech has been instructed to remove “misleading, untruthful and deceitful” information from his website linking him to the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL).

Lech has been asked to remove claims that he is linked to both organisations. His website lists him as a “consultant and speaker to the AACL” and a “guest speaker at SPCA fundraising and education events”.

NSPCA spokeswoman Christine Kuch said the claims were false.

“Both the Animal Anti-Cruelty League and the National Council of SPCAs afforded Mr Lech the opportunity to substantiate the statements, which he has been unable to do. We have approached him to substantiate it, and if he cannot, then to remove the information. We have circulated it to all SPCAs, and there is no link or endorsement of Lech.”

And the Cape Times reports today that the dog which attacked toddler Meeka Riley Lackay is to be “privately euthanased” at Lech’s request. Sadly, it seems the dog cannot request the same fate for its owner, who shouldn’t have been walking it on the beach where it attacked the little Meeka in the first place.

9 thoughts on “Not worth waiting for…

  1. Oh nice. So his methods fail and he fails to apply some common sense and so he’s going to kill the pupperoo.
    I didn’t think I could dislike him any more.

  2. “D has made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation process and has become a treasured pet and a valued member of my pack.”

    Yet now the dog has to be euthanased? So which is it? Has the dog made remarkable progress? Or hasn’t it? If the former, then why does it need to put down?

    Silly man. (As a parent, I’m sure you know what I really mean by that…)

  3. The Cape Times article makes it pretty clear Lech was given no choice about euthanasing the dog. Either his vet does it or the City/SPCA does. The authorities are releasing the dog directly to the vet who will euthanase it, not to Lech. In my opinion the dog, and to some extent the rottie breed, are victims too, but probably this is how it has to be. There can’t be any risk of a third attack on child.

    From everything I’ve read about the circumstances of this attack, the prior attack on another little girl in a shopping mall, the guys response as reported and on his blog, it seems clear Lech is simply a colossal tosser. His claims of expertise and false affiliations make him clearly a fraud too. Thing is it you don’t have to be brilliantly insightful to take him down. In view of which I think the prior comments from T and Gary are in fact rather unjust. I mean, tosser and fraud though he is, if you actually read what the news report says, he is simply making the most compassionate choice with respect to the disposition of his dog that he has the freedom to under the circumstances.

  4. I don’t think it’s unjust to expect a self proclaimed dog shaman to have considered his dogs personality after the first incident and acted accordingly. This dog was a rescue from what I understand from various news articles and probably had a horrendous past. Throw into the mix it’s sudden lunge at the first child and you may consider that the dog feels threatened by small humans – maybe it was abused before. It’s a long shot perhaps but after that first time, I wouldn’t take the chance with my dogs so really, I think it’s perfectly just to call him irresponsible. The choice shouldn’t be necessary.

  5. Hi, I don’t disagree with anything you say above. I was only objecting in my first post to the implication that somehow Lech made a choice now to kill the dog. Sorry if I misinterpreted.

    Anyhow, the first attack shouldn’t have happened either, and already showed Lech’s incompetence and irresponsibility. It is reasonable to have compassion for the human victims and also for the dog, and I believe it’s in fact possible to keep such a dog safely. Somehow the animal got a second chance after the first incident, though it would have been better had it been moved then to a more competent owner. It beggars belief that Lech took the same animal (seems to be confirmed now) to Clifton in the summer!

    Probably at this point there was sadly little choice as to what to do . . . dogs are viewed as property and don’t have the benefit of due process. Lech does, seems likely he will get taken to the cleaners this time, I hope so. The following report confirms the animal is no more: http://bit.ly/wEnnFP The quote from the SPCA chief sums it up:

    “In my opinion there is no such thing as a ‘dangerous dog’ but rather there are dangerous owners. Mr Lech admitted to us that ‘D’ was the same Rottweiler that attacked a young girl in Hyde Park shopping centre in July last year, yet shockingly he still took the dog, which he clearly was not able to control, into a public space without any consideration for anyone else’s wellbeing and this has cost the dog its life.”

  6. Surely that SCPA statement should include an extra word:

    “Mr Lech admitted to us that ‘D’ was the same Rottweiler that attacked a young girl in Hyde Park shopping centre in July last year, yet shockingly he still took the dog, which he clearly was not able to control, illegally into a public space without any consideration for anyone else’s wellbeing and this has cost the dog its life.”

  7. You must see the propaganda this clown is putting up on his blog (http://thedogshamanblog.wordpress.com). He blames everyone exccept himself and only publishes comments which potray him in a good light – let’s just say that he hasn’t published any of my comments.

    I had the misfortune of attending university with Mr Lech and I can tell you from first hand experience that the man is a complete fake – by way of example, on his facebook page he claims to have graduated from Harvard AND Cambridge in 2007 – impressive!

  8. I generated some mirth the other day by referring to Mr Lech as a ‘ perma-tanned Doctor Doolittle ‘ . I retract this as any suggestion of the little shit having acquired a meaningful tertiary qualification of any sorts is an insult to academia .

    While his savage attacks on the English language are amusing , his dogs’ savage attacks on small children are not ( although if his teaching is anything like his writing , we at least have some grasp of what keeps going wrong ) .

    I neither know nor care if this snake-oil salesman believes his own bullshit . What is certain is that he is as dangerous as he is ridiculous . Any punishment less than prison would exonerate his contempt for the law .

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