A council has delayed a decision to put down a five-month-old puppy following public backlash.
‘Max’, who was found in Dundonald earlier this month, was due to be euthanised after dog wardens deemed that he was a Pitbull-type dog which should be put down under Breed Specific Legislation.
The case was discussed at Tuesday’s Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) meeting and it concluded that Max could not be robustly deemed as a pitbull, a concern backed by local animal charity the USPCA.
A spokesperson for LCCC said they have decided to delay any action to allow its owners to come forward.
“Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has a duty to follow legislation with regards to dog control,” they explained.
“The dog was confirmed as a Pit Bull Terrier type dog by highly trained and qualified officers. This type of dog has been a banned breed since 1991 meaning we cannot re-home it or allow it to be rescued. The dog is not an XL Bully.
“In relation to any banned breed of dog without an exemption, we are obliged to humanely put it to sleep if no owner is identified within 5 days. This dog has been under the control of the council now for 8 days and is considered abandoned.
“We have decided to delay any action in relation to this dog to allow for its owners to come forward. If you have lost a Pit Bull Terrier type dog and can provide proof of ownership, please contact us on 028 9244 7397.”
Zara Duncan from Antrim was due to foster the stray over Christmas.
She welcomed news of his stay of execution but added she is ‘heartbroken’ he won’t be leaving the dog pound.
“This boy does not deserve to spend months in kennels as an untyped dog there is no reason he should,” she said.
“We are hopeful that Max can be released to foster care with an assessment to follow when he reaches an older age.”
