Aggressive ‘XL bully’ put down after it ‘breaks free’ of muzzle
AN XL bully-type dog thought to have broken free from its muzzle was put down after a call for armed police to help restrain the animal.
Officers found scenes of panic after witnesses claimed the powerfully-built puppy was behaving aggressively in the close of a block of flats.
The family pet was euthanised by a vet following the incident on Thursday at Broughton Place, in the Shawhead area of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.
Officers yesterday confirmed that a 30-year-old woman has been charged with an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act and will be reported to the procurator fiscal.
Tight restrictions on XL bullies came into force in Scotland on February 23 following public pressure to bring the country into line with new laws south of the Border. A crowd had gathered in the street to watch the drama unfold before they were ordered to leave the area as roads were closed down. Locals posted images online of armed police and a vet entering the close before the body of the dog, thought to be under a year old, was brought out in a bag. A neighbour told the Daily Record: ‘There were cops everywhere. We had no idea what was happening until we saw a vet going in.’
Yesterday, a Police Scotland spokesman confirmed: ‘A vet also attended to euthanise the dog. No one was injured during the incident.
‘A 30-year-old woman has been charged with an offence relating to the Dangerous Dogs Act and will be the subject of a report of the procurator fiscal.’
The dog had reportedly broken free from its muzzle, required as part of the new restrictions. The incident comes after police shot a bully-type dog dead after it mauled two men in Hamilton last month.
Meanwhile, the Scottish SPCA has said that two XL bully dogs in its care are set to be put down after it ran out of time to find them new homes.
The charity has said it supports legislation to protect the public and remains deeply concerned about the rise in dog control-related incidents. But Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn has also said it has ‘long opposed restrictions that focus specifically on certain types of dogs’.