My best friend is coming home soon and I'm ecstatic.

***TL;DR will follow just in case this drags on.***

Hey, ATS. I hope you've all been doing as well as possible.

I've had an (half forced-half chosen) extended spell away from the boards, and sadly haven't had much time to spare so I could pop in as frequently as I'm used to.

On Valentine's Day (14th Feb) my dog was seized by the UK's Nanny State authorities under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which honestly is nothing more than an openly breed discriminating Law, that applies to roughly 4-5 breeds of canine.

A mere suspicion of being a banned breed is enough for a warrant and seizure, which I personally find to be a deranged way to legislate.

Anywho, my dog was suspected of being a Pit-Bull type breed, and taken from my home at 6:30am.

The procedure after such confiscation is temperament and aggression testing, as well as tests to confirm the breed type.

This concerned me very much, because despite my dog never once showing aggression or dangerous behaviour to a soul in the 4 and a half years I've had him, he has shown very defensive mannerisms when approached and startled, this being due to his extreme anxiety, and even possible PTSD from 3 occasions he has been attacked himself.

My concern was that this out-of-the-blue snatch and grab, along with being taken by unknowns to a strange environment, may lead to a hostile reaction on his part during the tests.



Well, eventually I was interviewed, and received minimal info in regards to my dogs wellbeing in the kennels. By this time they had almost confirmed his breed as a Pit-Bull.

So... A few weeks later I was charged and given a court date.

Under the DDA 1991, there is an exemption clause for dogs with no previous who also pass the tests, and in the event of this they will be spared destruction and returned to the owner under certain conditions.

My court date was Thursday just gone, and I was informed the very same morning by the Law Firm who took my case that they were not going to represent me. Didn't get a reason. Screw them!

Turns out I had no need for them, the dog officer who had taken my dog was kind enough to give evidence to the court stating that they were not seeking a Destruction Order, and that they found no dangerous or problematic behaviour in my dog.
So with a guilty ruling, I received a reduced fine and a 6 Month Conditional Discharge (meaning any criminal appearance before a judge or magistrate in the next 6 months will lead to this case being re-opened).

I'm getting my dog back!!!
And that is all I cared about. I'd have taken 1000 lashes to get him back!!!



So, finally I catch a break after 3 months of torment!

Thanks for reading.


TL;DR:
Dog was seized...
Was charged with an offence...
Found guilty, but awarded the return of my dog under strict conditions...
Gotta stay out of trouble for at least 6 months or the case will be re-opened...
He will be home soon.



I am overjoyed. 2018 finally came good for me.

Peace and Love, ATS!!!

a reply to: Hazardous1408

Congrats man!
Enjoy your time and stay out of trouble!

a reply to: Hazardous1408

A good result. Should be a joyous reunion ... get it on video !

😎

good to hear, glad for the happy ending

Glad for you and the pup.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

Good news! Got any piccies of said four-legged friend? My ex had a Pit-bull. (Not banned in the Netherlands) He could lick you to death, that's for sure. Oh, and the farts...sometimes. Plus he sometimes put his foot in your crotch while he attempted to sit on your lap before realising he didn't fit. His tail caught me once in the genital area too, he was enthusiastic when he was happy.

That's awesome news mate, I love a happy ending. I'd crawl 10miles over broken glass to get my little mate back, luckily her being a Spoodle there's no danger of seizure(similar laws here in Oz).

Congrats bro. I'm across the pond in the Deep South, so only a few local municipalities enforce breed-specific regulations and I have several rescue pit-bulls.

What I have found regarding anxiety/separation anxiety issues, is that CBD oil is a highly-effective anti-anxiety for canines. If you have the resources and means, try it. It may take some trial-and-error, but I feel confident it'll help. Best of luck!

Again, congrats on getting your bestie back!

Doggone that's the best news all day, H!

Grats on getting your pooch back breed specific laws are so dumb. I could make a lot of comparisons but I'm sure you all can guess them.

I'm glad you got your buddy back. Now make sure you all stay on the straight and narrow so the nannies look the other way.

I wish I knew why we created such trouble for each other, but we do.

Goof grief!

Im so glad for you!

Here are our Pitts, Bruno and Baby

Bruno can actually speak. He says hello when I come home, and has clearly called to me "Dad"

Get the reunion on video and show us!

Sorry you had to go through all of that, I would want to punch the person responsible. Dogs are like family and shouldn't be taken away like that. Glad you got him back

Grats man. Here is to better and happier times for us all!

It's not the dog, it's the person on other end of the lead that has given these types of breeds a bad name here in Britain. Trophy dogs owned by idiots and a few cases of children being attack and some deaths.
I hope things go well for you and your dog.
and your life gets back to normality.

Thank you all so much, guys and gals.

My iMac won't let me give out stars or quote anyone, so I'll have to respond without tagging anybody, sadly.



TNMockingbird, definitely going to avoid any sort of trouble. I always do anyways, this was my first time in court in my 30 year existence. Thank you kindly.

Timely, thanks so much, I cannot wait to reunite with him and also great idea to film it. That is definitely going to happen now haha.

Fiver, muchas gracias, the result was such a relief. Indescribable joy, really.

Japhrimu, thanks a lot, mate. Appreciate it.

LightSpeedDriver, thank you, pal. I'll try to upload a photo as soon as I can. You are very correct, I'm not sure there is a worse feeling than when a giant ball of muscle decides to use our groin as a stepping stone haha.

OsirusVet, the kind words are much appreciated, mate. And you're absolutely right, too. Broken glass or hot coals couldn't prevent us in those moments.

BeefNoMeat, thank you very much, mate. I will look into the CBD avenue, too. It's worth a shot for sure.

The GUT, well thank you kindly, mate. Best news in years for myself, so I'm glad it could brighten your day as well.

Lilroanie, I certainly can, pal. Merci, my friend.

Ketsuko, thank you ever so much, I will be avoiding any sort of trouble that may come my way. And I wish I knew the answer to that, it is a conundrum.

visitedbythem, much appreciated, pal. Bruno and Baby are absolutely beautiful... Love the smile in the 2nd picture haha.

that1lurker, for sure, it is rage inducing stuff. Thanks a lot, mate.

Maverick, thank you, pal. Many happy wishes to yourself as well.

Kurokage, exactly, mate. It is always nurture rather than nature, there isn't much in life that makes me more sick than the mistreatment of dogs. It should be punished in a far less leniency than it is. A slap on the risk for such abuse will never be a deterrent. Thank you, pal, feeling a bit more normal already.



Thanks again, guys and gals...
Much love to you all.

Peace!

Well? Did you get him back yet?

I'm so sorry you had to go through that! You Doggie too!:

Can't wait to see a reunion video!