Terrified woman fears sick XL Bully will be taken from her and put down

14 January 2024 , 19:49

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Stephanie Vine with Colin the dog and Bella, a Jack Russell (Image: Stephanie Vine / SWNS)

A worried XL Bully owner is scared her dog might be put to sleep because he's too ill to have an operation.

Stephanie Vine's dog, Colin, has epilepsy and can't be neutered without risking his life. He was diagnosed with the condition at the end of last year - just as Rishi Sunak announced upcoming restrictions on the breed. Under the new rules which came in on New Year's Eve, all XL Bullies must be neutered by the end of June unless they have a special reason not to be.

The government announced the ban following a spate of deadly dog attacks last year - many of which were connected to the breed. Ms Vine, from Chatham, Kent, is now worried that two-year-old Colin won't make it through the surgery and has asked for more time while he gets used to his new medicine. But when the 38 year old asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for help, they didn't give her the answer she hoped for.

Now she fears she may have to choose between a dangerous operation that vets say Colin might not survive, or losing her beloved pet. "It's not fair given our dog's current circumstances," she said. "Both my husband and I are public servants, so we are no strangers to practices and policies alike. But we feel there has been a lack of consideration when it comes to the welfare of dogs who have underlying health conditions that may affect their ability to comply with parts of the ban."

Colin, who also lives with Jack Russell Bella and Sydney, a mastiff/American Bulldog, was training to be a therapy dog at a care home. He had already earned his bronze and silver good citizenship certificates when he had his first epileptic seizure in September last year.

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Ms Vine said: "It was literally just as Rishi Sunak was announcing the plans to introduce the ban." She thought Colin was choking and tried to help him, only to realise he was having a seizure. When Colin's seizures became more frequent, he was referred to expert neurologists in Buckinghamshire. After undergoing MRI and CT scans, he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.

Colin was diagnosed with epilepsy last year (Stephanie Vine / SWNS)

Neutering Colin could put his life at risk, vets have said (Stephanie Vine / SWNS)

"It cost a lot of money," Ms Vine admitted, "But we would do anything we needed to do for him." Since September, Colin has been having three seizures every ten days, lasting between 30 seconds and two and a half minutes. He's now on medication which it's hoped will stabilise his condition, as continuous seizures could lead to brain damage. Before his illness, Colin used to donate blood and was always happy to visit the vet.

"We'd go in and he'd say hello to everyone and be so happy to be there," Ms Vine added. "The vet would show him the shaver and he would give her his paw ready." She's willing to follow the rules and believes the operation could help Colin in the long run, but insists that her poorly pooch isn't ready for surgery yet. "He is not stable enough on his medication to be able to be neutered," she said.

"Of course we want to comply with the rules of the ban, because we don't want our Colin to be seized and destroyed... the thought of it terrifies us as he's a huge part of our family. But I also don't want to send him for an operation which he might not wake up from," she added.

Ms Vine is currently walking Colin on a lead and muzzling him, as per the new rules. But she stressed that Colin isn't in a position to be castrated as his medication isn't completely stable yet. "He wouldn't survive the anaesthetic required to put him under for the procedure as his specialist vets are continually changing his dosages, as well as adding in new medications."

She sent a letter from Colin's neurologist confirming her fears to DEFRA, along with a request to postpone the procedure. But the government's response was unsympathetic and straightforward, responding: "To comply with the conditions of exemption under the new legislation, a dog has to be neutered." The response also detailed the conditions for applying for a certificate of exemption.

From December 31, it's against the law to sell, breed or give away an XL Bully dog under the Dangerous Dog Act. Owners have until January 31 to apply for their dogs to be exempted from this rule or risk having them taken away and put down. Ms Vine also accuses DEFRA of not following its own advice - as the Animal Welfare Act 2006 says it's wrong to 'cause an animal to suffer'. "[DEFRA] are asking us to put an animal through a procedure against all medical advice," she said.

"We are absolutely heartbroken for all of the families whom are affected by the tragedy of the previous attacks and are not trying to appear callous towards them at all. All we are asking for is some time for our Colin to be stable enough to have the castration procedure, as this is something we would like to do; not only for the ban, but also for the fact that it could lessen the frequency between his seizures."

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Susie Beever