Police force apologises to family after putting down pet XL bully by mistake

By Flaminia Luck

A police force has apologised after putting down a family's pet XL bully dog by mistake.

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Lancashire Police said it has given the family an "unreserved apology" for euthanising the seized dog, named Bruno, while the owners were in the process of applying for an exemption to keep him.

In a statement, the force said Bruno was put down due to an "administration error".

"In August we seized an XL bully dog from an address in Morecambe as part of our powers under the Dangerous Dogs Act as XL Bully dogs are a banned breed," the statement said.

"A file was being prepared for consideration of the owner being prosecuted for the relevant offences.

"However, unfortunately, due to an administration error the dog was subsequently euthanised before the court hearing."

The force added that it has introduced a process "to ensure the same mistake cannot be made again".

The dangerous dog breed was banned in February this year following a spate of fatal attacks.

It is a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a Certificate of Exemption.

The dogs must be neutered, kept on a lead and muzzled when out in public, microchipped and kept in a secure place so it cannot escape.

Owners or anybody handling the dog in public must be over 16 years old and take out third party public liability insurance to cover injuries the dog may cause to other people.

Expert questions why a ban on XL bully dogs doesn't target owners

'Never event'

Lizzi Collinge, MP Morecambe and Lunesdale, told the BBC that she is demanding answers over the incident.

"This should be a 'never event' and I have taken this issue up directly with the police," she said.

She added: "I was shocked to see that a much-loved pet dog, Bruno, was wrongly euthanised whilst in police care.

"Processes should have been in place to ensure this never happened.

"There is a legal process when dogs are under police care and it appears this hasn't been followed.

"I will continue to support the family and I appeal to the police to disclose how they are changing their practices so that this is something that can never happen again."