Almost 300 people turned out in a show of support for a puppy under threat of being put to death by Lisburn and Castlereagh Council in a protest staged outside the council offices in Lisburn yesterday afternoon.
The protest was called at short notice after the council last week refused calls from the USPCA to have an independent assessment for Max.
The council insist Max is a ‘banned breed’ despite dog experts telling them otherwise and urging the council to work with them to appoint an agreed independent assessor.
Almost £10,000 has already been raised as campaigners and the USPCA are engaging with solicitors on a legal route to fight Max’s case.
Experts have informed the council the dog is seven months old and any assessment should not be carried out until he is at least nine months old.
“Max has now been in council holding since the first week of December,” said Zara Duncan, who has been campaigning for Max since her offer to foster him was turned down in December.
She has been involved in animal rescue and fostering for 15 years.
“Despite a unanimous intervention from councillors to request an independent assessment for Max, working collaboratively with USPCA on the selection of the assessor, this has been rejected by the council.
“On 15th January, only hours after rejecting the USPCA’s proposed assessor list, the council facilitated an assessment of Max by a Merseyside Police DLO, at the cost of taxpayer money. We believe this was a deliberate and hand-picked selection by the council which ruled out Max’s chances of a fair assessment from a non-affiliated body.”
“It’s clear how much Max means to so many,” Zara said after Saturday’s demonstration in Lisburn.
Max, held in kennels by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council dispute pleas for his release.
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“One day my hope is that he will get to know that love again. Until then, we fight together for justice.
”Many councillors were only made aware that the council had proceeded to the assessment by social media post last Wednesday night. At this stage, we are still openly calling for the council to appoint a truly independent assessor from the list shared by the USPCA.
“As Max’s story grows it will be, for many people, the first time that the pain and cruelty of specific breed legislation will be coming to light in Northern Ireland.
“Right now there are many more like Max sitting in council pounds waiting for the same fate – death.
“Regardless of the assessment outcome, Max will always be an innocent dog in my eyes. Max is a mixed breed, with proven parentage from two perfectly legal breeds.
“How can we assess Max as a banned breed yet see photos being shared of councillors sitting with Max on their knees giving kisses? If there was ever an example to show how the legislation doesn’t work, it’s Max.
“And I have no doubt, if it wasn’t for the intervention and the show of support from the public, that Max would have been killed before Christmas.”
At the council, though, the continued insistence is that Max is a ‘banned breed’ dog.
“On 10 December 2024, an abandoned dog was collected from the Dundonald area. We have since established the age of the dog to be at least 9 months old,” they said.
“It was assessed and determined to be a Pit Bull type, which is a banned breed under The Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 (as amended) and therefore illegal to own without a valid exemption certificate.
Supporters of Max the dog gathered in protest at Lisburn and Castlereagh Council offices on Saturday afternoon.
“Following significant public concern, the council agreed that no further action would be taken until an additional, independent assessment could be conducted to provide further assurance in relation to the breed of the dog.
“An independent and highly experienced Dog Legislation Officer from the Merseyside Police Service conducted the independent assessment on Wednesday 15 January 2025. The outcome confirmed the results of the initial assessment and determined the dog as a Pit Bull Type.
“Elected Members were briefed at a meeting on 16 January 2025. It was agreed that no further action would be taken until clarification was sought on a related legislative matter. This remains a very challenging situation for all concerned. We continue to encourage the owner of the dog to contact the Council as soon as possible.”
Nora Smith, CEO of the USPCA, said last week: “The lack of consultation and failure to follow through on their public commitment to elected representatives to work with the USPCA is deeply disappointing.
“We are extremely frustrated by the Council’s actions despite their previous commitment to work with us. Max’s future should be determined by a transparent and impartial process of the highest standards that the public can trust.
“While the USPCA continues to offer its assistance to ensure Max is assessed fairly and in accordance with animal welfare standards, in an effort to resolve the situation, the charity is reluctantly taking legal action.”