Face of Tipperary woman trying to get elderly man’s dog put down for biting her

The case has led to more than 170,000 people signing a petition to save the animal, including top British actor Ricky Gervais.

Breid Greene is at the centre of a highly-publicised case involving Co Roscommon pensioner Donal Rogers after the former Garda’s pet Jack Russell Terrier, Kim, nipped her on the leg while she was walking past his house.

When asked at her home this week by the Sunday World whether it was true that she had two previous court actions which led to the destruction of two other dogs in similar circumstances, Ms Greene stared blankly, before politely replying: “I really don’t want to comment.”

A destruction order was this year initially made arising out of an incident when Kim, who belongs to retired Mr Rogers, bit the Clonmel woman as she was walking the Strokestown Famine Trail on the afternoon of March 6.

The incident occurred outside the entrance of Mr Rogers’ home at Bumlin, Strokestown, Co Roscommon.

In her evidence to the court, Ms Greene said no warning or growl was given by the dog before she was bitten on the leg.

She claimed she was bitten from behind, that the dog tore her trousers and inflicted her with a bite that required eight stitches.

She further told the court she required medical treatment for her wound at hospitals in Roscommon and Co Tipperary.

Arising out of the incident, Ms Greene, who made an application to the Roscommon District Court under the 1986 Control of Dogs Act, obtained in late April an order from the court directing the dog be delivered to a dog warden in the county to be destroyed.

The District Court ruled that the dog was dangerous and “not kept under proper control”.

Mr Rogers (85), who opposed Ms Greene’s application, appealed that decision to the Circuit Court.

The appeal was brought on grounds including that no evidence or history was given about the dog before the District Court, that no evidence was accepted from Mr Rogers, that the doctrine of the one-bite rule was not taken into account by the District Court judge.

He also argued before the Circuit Court that the Ms Greene “appeared to be an animal hater”, had refused any offer of a settlement from Mr Rogers and was adamant that the dog be destroyed.

Mr Rogers has withdrawn a High Court appeal against an order directing the destruction of Kim while he awaits further legal advice.

He also offered to compensate Ms Greene and penned a letter to her begging her to explore alternative solutions to having Kim put down, but she continues to refuse.

Ms Greene, who is in her 60s, is well known in Clonmel as a local Toastmaster and the pensioner is also believed to have been a Peace Commissioner.

“I’m not commenting in any way,” Ms Greene said when we called to her home in Clonmel.

Asked if she had any sympathy for Mr Rogers, she stressed: “I said I’m not commenting in any way.”

She made her remarks after we initially asked her if it was true that she was involved in two prior court cases which led to the destruction of dogs, but would neither confirm nor deny it.

Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, who shot to fame for his role as David Brent in hit TV show The Office, has joined the ‘Save Kim’ campaign.

More than 173,000 people have signed a petition against the dog’s destruction and more than €14,000 has been raised to help with Mr Rogers’ legal fees.

“This is so sad and frustrating,” animal lover Gervais said in a tweet to his 15 million followers in relation to the case. “Anyone out there know how this dog can be saved?#SaveKim.”

Mr Rogers told the Sunday World: “My battle to save Kim is far from over. I have supporters all over the country, in fact all over the world.

“I’ve even heard the actor Ricky Gervais has joined the fight and I’m deeply appreciative of his aid.”

He said he is due to take more legal action to save Kim’s life and will be lodging a new appeal soon through a new avenue in the courts.

He added he has agreed Kim be assessed by a professional assessor, who is prepared to give evidence in court about her demeanour and behaviour.

“Kim is aged five, going six,” he tells us. “For generations our family had sheep and kept Collie dogs, and I had several Collie dogs over the years. My Collie’s name is Oscar. The two of them are great friends and get on together, they eat out of the same dish.”

Mr Rogers said he had just arrived home from Mass and his dogs were able to get out onto the road through an open gate.

“The next thing I heard a knock on my front door. Those people had come along silently and the little dog woke up and saw the people on the road and her instinct as a Jack Russell was to rush out and nip them. She rushed out and nipped the person in the back of the leg and ran back into the lawn again.”

He said he always had proper control of the dogs and Kim “never did anything like that before”.

He said when he answered the door Mr White said “your dog has bitten my wife”. I immediately apologised and said “I’m very sorry, does she want to go to the hospital, because I will drive her to the hospital”.

He asked Ms Greene if she wanted to go to the hospital and he got his car and opened the door. When he opened it Kim jumped into the back seat.

“The lady (Ms Greene) got into the car and saw the dog. When I was putting on my seat belt she said ‘I’m not travelling in this car’ and she got out,” he recalls.

When Mr Rogers parked his car outside his house he went back out into the road to find the group had left the area, with Ms Greene being brought away in his neighbour’s car going to the hospital.