WARNING: DISTRESSING IMAGES. A one-year-old rescue puppy has been put to sleep after being identified by police as a pit bull terrier type, which is a banned breed in the UK
The RSPCA was forced to put Stanley down due to his pit bull terrier type
A young dog who was found dumped in a yellow Aldi shopping bag has been put to sleep, despite being on the road to recovery. Stanley was discovered “hours from death” abandoned in a park in Peterborough last month, and was taken in by the RSPCA, where dedicated animal carers began to heal him back to health.
But heartbreakingly, the one-year-old pup was identified as a suspected banned breed and later typed by police as a pit bull terrier – meaning he had to be euthanised under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. The RSPCA is “devastated” by Stanley’s death after doing “everything legally possible” to try to save him.
The Dangerous Dogs Act prohibits the ownership of four breeds in the UK
The UK’s breed-specific legislation bans the ownership of the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero, regardless of their health or behaviour.
This means Stanley was “effectively sentenced to death”, despite putting on weight and learning how to walk again at the RSPCA centre, CambridgeshireLive reports.
The animal charity said it “explored a number of options” to find a way to rehome Stanley, but ultimately “none have been possible”.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, a prohibited dog may only be rehomed when its owner has died or is seriously ill.
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Case law has also established that a person with a pre-existing relationship with the dog may be able to apply to bring about an exemption.
Stanley was only one year old and on the road to recovery
His animal carers were absolutely devastated saying goodbye
The RSPCA is among numerous leading animal charities calling for the Government to change the law with regards to the rehoming of typed dogs – as recommended by the EFRA Committee to avoid the unnecessary euthanasia of happy, friendly dogs.
“We have explored a number of options which we hoped would allow for Stanley to be legally kept but none have been possible and because of this cruel and ineffective law he had to be put to sleep.
The charity is among many calling for an end to the breed-specific legislation
“Anyone who feels heartbroken like us about this poor pup’s story, we would urge them to support our campaign to end BSL by contacting their MP through our campaign’s page. “