An apology to hooded youths is in order here...
St Neots 'Stamp Puppy' Died Of Natural Causes
18:34 - 03 November 2009
NATURAL DEATH: Police say 10-week-old Sandie died of a virus.
A POLICE investigation into the killing of a puppy in St Neots has been called off after a post mortem examination found the dog died of natural causes.
Hundreds of people joined a group calling for justice for the heartbroken 15-year-old who reported her puppy had been stamped to death in Priory Park on October 26.
April Alderton of Cambridge Road, St Neots, said she had been walking Sandie in the park between 11.15am and 11.50am when a hooded youth stamped on the dog and ran off. She said 10-week-old Sandie had died from a fractured skull.
RSPCA officers described the attack as "sickening" and police said it had "upset an entire family".
However a statement released to The Hunts Post on Tuesday (November 3) by Cambridgeshire police said they "had ended their investigation".
The statement said a detailed veterinary medical examination revealed it was "most likely" the puppy "had died suddenly from a virus and showed no sign of injury".
"Despite an intensive and thorough investigation, police have been unable to locate any other witnesses to an alleged incident in which the puppy was reportedly injured."
Police said no charges would be bought against the family.
April, who attends the Ascham Road Pupil Referral Unit in Cambridge, was bought Sandie following advice that it would help with her attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The circumstance of the puppy's alleged death caused outrage across the country with people offering rewards to find and prosecute the culprits.
More than 750 people signed up to a group on the social networking site, [System edit: Contains pet groups], condemning the actions.
Letters of outrage were also sent to The Hunts Post from across the country, including one which described the youths as "cowards" who killed a defenceless pet of a young girl".
A man, who wished to remain anonymous, also contacted The Hunts Post offering a £200 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the offender.
"It is totally disgusting," he said. "The attitude of these idiots shows absolute disregard for others in society. When I read about the killing I felt physically sick that someone could cause so much pain to a puppy."
The Sun newspaper offered a £2,500 reward.
April’s mother, Loretta, 45, who bought her daughter a new puppy on the same day as Sandie’s death, said: “The death of Sadie left us all devastated.”
When asked how they felt about the police calling an end to the investigation, family friend Rodney Ellis said: “We are fuming. The police are making an innocent girl look like a liar. This will provoke a lot of hassle for April and the kids in the area will say she lied. April is not handling it very well and is really upset. She keeps asking
‘why doesn’t anyone believe me?”
Because she`s a liar, probably.