An animal rescue expert has spoken out after two pet dogs in London were shot down by the Met police. 

The person, who wanted to remain anonymous, stated that they ‘side with the police’ and said they believed the officer who killed the animals, who were named Marshall and Millions, ‘would have done so as a last resort’.

This is in relation to an incident that happened on May 7 in Poplar, London, when the two animals were fatally shot following a tense standoff after a member of the public was allegedly attacked by the canines.

Both dogs were killed, whilst their owner, 46-year-old Louie Turnbull, was then tasered and later arrested for being a person/owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control, and for being in possession/custody of a dog whilst disqualified from owning or keeping a dog.

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Footage of the incident has been widely shared across social media, with many animal rights activists siding with Turnbull. A protest has been organised in Aylesbury next month. 

Now an anonymous source close to a Buckinghamshire rescue centre has spoken to the Free Press about their thoughts on the incident.

The animal expert, who believes the two dogs were an XL Bulldog, and an XL Bully Alberta Bulldog, said: "The police have a hard job already, and this whole situation could have been avoided.

“Tensions are running high and if you see a large dog lunge at a colleague, of course, you’re going to act.

“There is a perception that these types of dogs are horrible, but let’s look at it like this, the dogs are going to protect their owner no matter the situation.

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“It could be a big dog or a small dog, but no-one is going to feel intimidated when an aggressive chihuahua is coming towards you, compared to a 40kg animal.

“There’s a perception that a big dog is a scary dog, but that’s not true.

“It’s all down to how they are brought up."

They said that the behaviour of animals was the responsibility of the owner. 

The Met Police, who were involved in the incident, said: "The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards have conducted a thorough review of the incident, including all of the available body-worn footage, and are satisfied that there are no concerns around officer conduct.”

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The source continued: “A lot of dogs need socializing, exercising, and stimulating, and just because they are barking, it doesn’t mean they were going to do anything, yet the man didn’t help at all.

“Two dogs have sadly lost their lives and it’s difficult to put into words because the owner should have handled the situation better, it would have been a different outcome.”