Stray dog at centre of campaign will not be put down

Max was seized by dog wardens last year

A council has said it will not seek to have a stray dog put down despite the fact it believes him to be of a banned type.

Max has been in kennels since December last year after being seized by dog wardens from Lisburn and Castlereagh Council.

For the past nine months, campaigners have fought to try to prove he is not a dangerous breed, while the council maintains he is a banned pitbull-terrier type.

At Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Tuesday the council said it would not pursue euthanasia for Max, however it will be decided next week if the dog is to be muzzled.

Campaigners for Max say he is born to a Staffordshire bull terrier and French bulldog, two legal breeds in Northern Ireland.

The Mercy for Max campaign group raised more than £10,000 and instructed a west Belfast law firm to look after Max's case.

Those funds have since been used on a previous application and the firm has taken on the rest of the case pro bono

In court on Tuesday, two dog wardens, as well as a former Metropolitan Police Officer and a dog behavioural expert gave evidence explaining their individual assessments of Max.

Three of them said it was their belief from their relevant training and experience that Max was a banned pitbull-terrier type while Dr Helen Howell, a dog behavioural expert, assessed him as a small bulldog cross.

After hearing the evidence Judge Rosie Waters said she would take time to review it and come to a decision next week.

The case is due to resume again on Thursday 2 October.

This piece was amended on 25 September.