Devastated man whose pet was mauled by dog in Stoke Newington takes home new canine companion

A man whose beloved pet was mauled to death by another dog in the street took home a new best friend today – thanks to the efforts of caring neighbours and the police.

Anthony Cumberbatch was walking his 13-year-old pooch Shaka near to Clissold Park in Stoke Newington when the fatal attack happened in July.

It left Mr Cumberbatch, who got the Border Collie and German Shepherd-cross when he was a puppy, heartbroken.

He said: “I was devastated; I couldn’t believe what was happening. Shaka was my everything, I was driven by him. I felt like the whole world had come down around me.”

Neighbours and fellow dog walkers in Clissold Park, where Mr Cumberbatch and Shaka were a regular fixture, were also left in shock but set about rallying around to raise enough money for him to get a new canine companion.

And this afternoon Hackney Police, who helped him to find his perfect dog, took Mr Cumberbatch to Battersea Dogs Home to collect Ozzy, a six-year-old Jack Russell and Border Collie-cross.

Speaking shortly afterwards, Mr Cumberbatch, of Carysfort Road, Stoke Newington, said: “Having Ozzy means a great deal, it’s given me back a life. When Shaka died I couldn’t go to the park, I didn’t have the energy. Now I can go back.”

Two people have been charged by police in connection with Shaka’s death and a dog has been seized.