A Newry-based animal welfare charity has expressed significant frustration and disappointment with Lisburn and Castlereagh Council’s (LCC) handling of a case involving a dog they believe may have been “wrongly assessed” as a pit bull terrier.
Under Breed Specific Legislation, the suspected bull dog cross pup dog known as ‘Max’ has been held by LCC since the first week of December 2024 as a typed, Pitbull dog.
Max’s identification as a Pitbull could now result in him being put to sleep.
In an effort to prevent his death, a GoFundMe page set up for the purpose of “saving Max from euthanasia” has now raised over £10,000 in donations.
In description of the fundraising effort, the page states that despite a “unanimous intervention from councillors to request an independent assessment for Max, working collaboratively with USPCA on the selection of the assessor, this has been rejected by the council.”
It continues: “On 15th January, only hours after rejecting the USPCAs proposed assessor list, the council facilitated an assessment of Max by a Merseyside Police DLO, at the cost of tax payer money.
“We believe this was a deliberate and hand picked selection by the council which ruled out Max’s chances of a fair assessment from a non affiliated body.
“This fundraising is aimed to support what will be a potential legal intervention to challenge Lisburn and Castlereagh Councils assessment of Max and ultimately contribute to his freedom.”
An official statement from USPCA stated that council officials have reneged on a commitment to work in partnership with the USPCA, undermining transparency and trust in decision making about this dog’s future.
Nora Smith the CEO of the USPCA said: “The lack of consultation and failure to follow through on their public commitment to elected representatives to work with the USPCA is deeply disappointing. People are really concerned about Max’s future and how Lisburn and Castlereagh Council are handling this complex case.
“We are extremely frustrated by the Council’s actions despite their previous commitment to work with us. Max’s future should be determined by a transparent and impartial process of the highest standards that the public can trust.”
While the USPCA continues to offer its assistance to ensure that Max is assessed fairly and in accordance with animal welfare standards, in an effort to resolve the situation, the charity is reluctantly taking legal action.
Donate to the GoFundMe page for Max here.
