Leave No Bear Behind...Part 5

M@
By M@ Last edited 184 months ago
Leave No Bear Behind...Part 5
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It's no teddy bear's picnic out there. As previous installments of this column have shown, London's soft toy population is under the cosh. Abandoned, abused and unloved, teddy bears across the capital need our help.

Reader Jenny Bak confirms our fears by sending in this gruesome eyewitness testimonial.

I was sharing a toasty raclette from Borough Market with my husband in the courtyard of Southwark Cathedral, when a dog suddenly sped by us. He had spotted a dirty teddy bear in a far corner and went straight for it. The bear was almost as big as the dog, smiling and wearing a once-jaunty pink bow. In an inhumane display, the dog ran up and down the grass, dragging and savaging the poor bear with animalistic ferocity. The people around us pointed and smiled. Clearly, I was the only one on Team Teddy...I snapped a pic, though it's a bit blurry due to the dog's sadistic energy.

This latest chapter marks a new low in ursiform abuse. Do we really want to return to the times of the Tudors, when bear baiting in Southwark was regarded as sport?

To help us chronicle the plight of London's neglected toys, please send in photos of abandoned teddy bears and other playthings to londonist - at - gmail.com

Last Updated 23 November 2008