Owner of XL bully put down in 'error' was waiting for call to collect dog

The proprietor of an XL bully that was mistakenly euthanised by constabulary has revealed helium had been waiting for a telephone to cod the household favored erstwhile helium alternatively learned helium had been enactment down owed to an "administration error".

Lancashire Police said it has fixed the household an "unreserved apology" for euthanising the seized dog, named Bruno, portion the owners were successful the process of applying for an exemption to support him.

Bruno's owner, Connor Halliwell, told Sky News helium is "devastated... due to the fact that I was waiting for him to travel home".

The canine was astatine a constabulary presumption for 4 weeks, during which Mr Halliwell, 27, from Morecambe, tried to interaction officers to find retired what was happening.

He said: "They went to spell and spot the canine and bash an appraisal connected the canine and spot if helium was truly bully and calm, and helium was, truthful I got a telephone telephone astir that, saying, 'we've had immoderate bully quality astir Bruno - he's been superb and passed the assessment'.

"A mates of weeks later, I didn't person a telephone telephone truthful I got clasp of them myself, and I had to spell to a gathering astatine the constabulary presumption with a sergeant."

That's erstwhile helium was told Bruno had been enactment down owed to an admin error.

"I was waiting for messages, emails, saying, 'you tin travel and spot Bruno present oregon we tin driblet him disconnected astatine your house'. I was conscionable waiting for a call," helium said.

Lancashire Police said it has introduced a process "to guarantee the aforesaid mistake cannot beryllium made again".

But Mr Halliwell suggested helium was not going to fto the substance drop.

"I'm going to instrumentality it further," helium told Sky News, adding helium would beryllium talking to his MP Lizzi Collinge to spot however she could help.

"I'm feeling devastated, upset, and everything else," helium said. "I don't cognize however they tin get it wrong."

He said determination was thing "vicious" astir Bruno, and revealed immoderate antagonistic comments had been made astir the household favored connected societal media.

"We've had a fewer comments saying, 'you should enactment Bruno with the different dogs that person been killed and changeable and stabbed, successful a graveyard afloat of animals'," helium said.

"They don't cognize Bruno's background," helium added, describing the two-year-old arsenic a "softie".

"He was a large dog, helium was a beauteous dog, helium was bully with kids," helium said.

From 1 February, it became a transgression offence to ain the XL bully breed successful England and Wales without an exemption certificate.

Anyone who owns 1 of the dogs indispensable person had the carnal neutered, person it microchipped and support it muzzled and connected a pb successful public, among different restrictions.

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In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "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 error, the canine was subsequently euthanised earlier the tribunal hearing."

Ms Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, has demanded answers implicit the incident.

"This should beryllium a 'never event' and I person taken this contented up straight with the police," she told the BBC.