Taunton dog to be rehomed as tests show it is not XL bully

Hope would have been put down if tests had confirmed she was a banned breed

A rescue dog which had faced being put down, can now be rehomed after it was confirmed it is not an XL bully.

Hope was brought to St Giles Animal Rescue Centre near Taunton as a stray, after the ban on the XL bully breed came into force.

Jack Linnell said staff at the centre were "over the moon" that tests had shown Hope was not the banned breed.

The centre has now set up a measuring facility to help identify the breed quicker if the situation arises again.

Another dog being looked after by staff, Ashton, has also been cleared and the rehoming process can now start for both of them.

Mr Linnell, centre director, told BBC Radio Somerset he was delighted they would not need to be put down.

"We've been waiting for an assessment for Ashton for the last six months and Hope for a few weeks.

"Hope came to us as a stray with no exemption certificate - she looked like an XL type so we couldn't take any chances," he added.

Centre director Jack Linnell said he was delighted that Hope could be rehomed

The centre managed to get a virtual assessment, sending a former police office videos and pictures, and he confirmed both dogs are not XL bully types.

Mr Linnell said staff tried everything to avoid the dog being put down and had appealed for her owner to get in touch.

He added: "No one came forward for Hope so we had no details on her breed or where she's been.

"I think the law has been rushed through as there's so many other breeds that are similar to the XL banned type.

"They haven't considered rescue centres and what happens to these dogs that we are unsure of. More needs to be done."

Forever home

Ownership of American bully XL dogs is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Since 1 February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate in England and Wales.

Mr Linnell said: "We've learnt a lot through this process on how to deal with possible XL type dogs.

"Once we sort the paperwork and train them, we will now be able to find Hope and Ashton their forever home."