Blundering police apologise after family's beloved XL Bully put down due to 'admin error'

Lancashire Police accidentally euthanised the seized dog, named Bruno, portion his owners successful Morecambe were successful the process of applying for an exemption to support the XL Bully

A constabulary unit has made an "unreserved apology" for putting down a family's favored XL Bully by mistake owed to an "administration error".

The owners of the dog, named Bruno, were successful the process of applying for an exemption to support him erstwhile constabulary seized the XL Bully and euthanised him.

A tribunal proceeding was expected to instrumentality spot but the "administration error" led to the decease of Bruno. Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said she wants answers implicit the incident.

But Lancashire Police person said it has introduced a process "to guarantee the aforesaid mistake cannot beryllium made again". The unit added: "In August we seized an XL bully canine from an code successful Morecambe arsenic portion of our powers nether the Dangerous Dogs Act arsenic XL bully dogs are a banned breed.

"A record was being prepared for information of the proprietor being prosecuted for the applicable offences. However, unfortunately, owed to an medication mistake the canine was subsequently euthanised earlier the tribunal hearing."

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Collinge, who represents Labour, the incidental should beryllium "a 'never event'". She continued: "This should beryllium a 'never event' and I person taken this contented up straight with the police. I was shocked to spot that a much-loved favored dog, Bruno, was wrongly euthanised whilst successful constabulary care.

"Processes should person been successful spot to guarantee this ne'er happened. There is simply a ineligible process erstwhile dogs are nether constabulary attraction and it appears this hasn't been followed. I volition proceed to enactment the household and I entreaty to the constabulary to disclose however they are changing their practices truthful that this is thing that tin ne'er hap again."

The breed was banned astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth aft a bid of incidents successful which radical were injured oregon killed. The RSPCA said reports of intentional harm, neglect and abandonment dramatically increased successful the archetypal 8 months of 2024. It received 103 reports of intentional harm, an summation of 164% connected the 39 during the aforesaid play successful 2023.