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The six words that Northern Ireland’s dog-lovers were waiting to hear came on Monday: “Bailey is now out of prison.”
A vocal campaign to free the cocker spaniel who committed no crime culminated in his release from Magilligan prison and transfer to an undisclosed location to begin a new life.
“Bailey is out of that environment, is now in a family home, with someone who is trained to look after him,” Jon Burrows, an Ulster Unionist party (UUP) assembly member, told the Belfast Telegraph.
Bailey had been placed in the medium-security prison in County Derry as a support dog for prisoners but reports in August about his condition – he was said to be limping and “quivering” at night because of alarms, shouts and fights – prompted an outcry.
Animal rights activists organised protests under the banners #alldogsmatter and #ProtectBailey and lobbied the Department of Justice to relocate the former family pet, who was reportedly kept in block H2 with violent prisoners, including sex offenders and animal abusers.
Causeway Coast Dog Rescue said: “After a reputable animal welfare charity declined to provide a therapy dog, Bailey was sourced informally and placed in a high-security environment with no certified training or therapy dog oversight.”
There was no risk assessment or accountability and instead of returning to a family home after each “shift”, Bailey was stuck in the prison 24 hours a day, the charity said.
Newspapers gave prominent coverage to a “free Bailey” campaign and politicians intervened. Burrows – whose UUP profile calls him a champion against those facing injustice – told the Stormont assembly that Bailey had been “incarcerated for life”.
He made the announcement on Monday that the dog was out. “The full circumstances of Bailey leaving prison will have to be examined,” he said. “There’s going to be an effort I hope made to try and find Bailey a permanent home to live in. This has been a disgraceful episode from start to finish.”
Burrows said prison officers lacked dog-handling training and that Bailey had lacked a primary handler and an opportunity to “recuperate” in a domestic setting.
The Department of Justice said there was no neglect. “Bailey is registered with a local veterinary practice and is in good health. Local council officials have recently visited Magilligan and confirmed that Bailey is in excellent condition, appropriately housed and safeguarded,” it said.
It said the prison service took its duty of care for animals seriously and worked with animal charities to offer a caring home and a purposeful life to many dogs. “For many years dogs have played a crucial role in the service, supporting staff in maintaining security and safety at establishments,” it added.
Causeway Coast Dog Rescue held a protest outside the razor wire-topped walls of Magilligan on Monday, saying that Bailey might be free but there were inadequate regulations and safeguards for other dogs and animals in Northern Ireland’s prisons.
