Elvis' Teddy Bear Chewed Up By Museum Guard Dog

Local 6 ^ | August 2, 2006 | Staff Writer

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LONDON -- Mabel, the teddy bear once cuddled by Elvis, is all chewed up.

A Doberman pinscher named Barney ripped Mabel's head off at the Wookey Hole Caves children's museum near Wells, England. Barney was supposed to be guarding hundreds of rare bears, but the museum's general manager Daniel Medley said "he just went berserk."

Barney chewed up all the bears, worth nearly $1 million.

Medley has spoken to the man who donated Elvis' bear to the collection and he said the man is "not very pleased at all." The bear was made in 1909 by the German manufacturer Steiff.

A security guard at the museum, Greg West, said he spent several minutes chasing Barney before wrestling the dog to the ground.

[Kimmers]

My dog would have thought he died and went to heaven if given the opportunity to guard teddy bears.....no teddy is safe with my yellow lab Icon around....

[Titan Magroyne]

Last line of article: "A security guard at the museum, Greg West, said he spent several minutes chasing Barney before wrestling the dog to the ground."

I suppose this is the closest we'll get to a man-bites-dog story today. :-D

The more I think on't, the more I have to laugh at the image of the dobie gallumping past alcoves in the museum: tongue lolling in a great big grin, claws skittering on gleaming floors, staying just ahead of the poor guy duty-bound to halt the destruction - or the further scattering of bear innards, LOL. "Oh boy, let's play!"

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh... exactly... they've written this as some kind of angry rampage, when in reality, it was just good bad dog fun, on the part of the dog, anyway :~D

[Dysart]

Here is a perfect example of why we must banish this monstrous breed of dog. This individual Doberman Pincher has not shown any propensity for aggression, and BAM, he just snapped. That's what they do. Sure, he merely attacked a particularly valuable Teddy Bear ripping it to shreds, but what's next? I'll tell you. We are! Write your congressman today.

[potlatch]

LOL, Elvis isn't going to stand for this!!

[AirForceBrat23]

Hugh Laurie is the TV star. He's on that TV show "House", which is OK as far as medical dramas go. His character (the main one) is hilarious.

[CougarGA7]

Wookey Hole Caves

Sounds like a Kashyyyk strip club.

[AirForceBrat23]

Hee hee, I buy plush Barney toys for my dog so he can rip them to shreds. Unfortunately, he ends up cherishing them.

[WestCoastGal]

Better call........

[devolve]

That little "jump" after the somersault -

No wonder the dog attacked him!

[potlatch]

That little "jump" after the somersault - No wonder the dog attacked him!

You're absolutely right. Teddy-Bear was just showing off there!!

[Honeybunch]

Our dog would NEVER do something like that!

[AnAmericanMother]

"I'm innocent, I tell you! Innocent!"

(Is this the face of a mass murderer?)

[HairOfTheDog]

Guilty as sin. :~)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"...no teddy is safe with my yellow lab Icon around..."

We had two (down to one now just due to Old Age) Black Labs and a Basset Hound. In their younger years, they'd tear up any stuffed toy within minutes of receiving it. (I buy them stuffed animals at Goodwill for 50-cents.) First they'd tear out the eyes, then the nose, then the belly. It was creepy how they'd dismember the poor things in the same manner each and every time, but it kept them amused for a while.

Now that they're Old Dogs (10 & 6) they still take out the eyes and the nose, but they actually play with and cuddle and "love up" their "babies." We have a few toys that have actually lasted a few years now. "Puppy-Puppy" is a favorite, as is "Ratty." *Rolleyes*

Man, we dog owners are whacked! And I won't even go into the luxuries I provide for my cats, LOL! ;)

[AnAmericanMother]

If you look VERY carefully, you can see the remains of a cow femur joint under her belly.

The rest of the cow . . . ? She'll never tell.

My husband says, "The REAL squeaky toys only squeak once."

[Diana in Wisconsin]

What? No kudos for my "but HUGH are the other two?"

Come on! How hard does a gal have to work around here for a laugh? ;)

[HairOfTheDog]

My Gidget liked to very surgically pull all the stuffing out of things, usually through a pretty small hole. I would just come along and stuff the batting back in it and then she could do it again when I went on the next non-dog outing and left her alone.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I LOVE Tumbling Bear! Haven't seen him for years! Thanks! :)

[martin_fierro]

Come on! How hard does a gal have to work around here for a laugh? ;)

HUGH DA MAN!