Dog owner reunited with XL bully after nine months

The dog was seized after running out of his family home without a muzzle

A dog owner who said he battled depression after his XL bully was seized by police has been reunited with his "great, big boy" after nine months.

Richard Lyttle’s pet, named Hugo Boss, darted out of the family home in Colchester without a muzzle in February.

He says he quickly retrieved the nine-stone (57kg) dog from the street but his pet was put in a kennel and forced to stay there even after passing temperament tests.

Essex Police said seized animals were properly looked after to keep them in good health and decisions about their return were "matters for the courts".

Richard Lyttle has owned XL bully Hugo Boss since he was a puppy

An XL bully is the largest kind of American bully dog and it is a criminal offence to own one in the UK without an exemption certificate.

Registered dogs must be housed securely, and kept on a lead and muzzled in public.

"I’m so glad I’ve got my dog back but I’ve been dealing with this for nine months and it has made me very depressed," Mr Lyttle said.

"Hugo is part of our family so it’s been at the back of my mind all the time and the guilt and heartache has been too much – my dog was in a kennel suffering.

Hugo is now back home after spending nine months in kennels

"He is a great big nine-stone boy and would knock you over but he is an absolutely beautiful dog and very gentle and calm.

"We had a report from the kennels saying Hugo is an absolute gentleman and is an exceptional, highly trained, human-loving dog and not a danger."

Mr Lyttle believes it took too long for Hugo to be returned and is worried about the impact such a long stay in a kennel might have had on his pet.

"It could have damaged him or changed his personality - I can’t imagine what he went through emotionally," he added.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "Our priority at all times is to make sure the public are safe, and to do so we may have to seize dogs.

"These animals are held in contracted kennels where they receive daily exercise, specific food for any dogs requiring different dietary requirements for medical reasons, and monthly visits from vets to ensure they remain in good health.

"Any decisions about returning dogs to their owners are matters for the courts, with police responsible for their care until the courts have reached their decision."