A Belfast magistrate ruled that 62-year-old Irene Chambers’ pet dogs were not pit bulls and should be returned to her after a year in kennels.

But on Saturday the younger dog, Roxy, became aggressive and was put down at Mrs Chambers’ request.

The dog was a “friendly” seven-month-old pup when taken from her a year ago under the legislation but changed while kept at a pound hired by Belfast City Council.

Both sides involved in the court case last night joined calls for immediate action to be taken by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to change the law.

Belfast City Council and the USPCA have consistently called for the law to be amended.

The USPCA said it could be changed simply and quickly by an Order in council.

Mrs Chambers’ dogs Hooch and Roxy were returned on Friday but after observing them and taking advice from animal behaviourist Dr Roger Mugford Mrs Chambers took the “heartbreaking” decision to have Roxy put down.

The two dogs were held at the old safari park near Coleraine, which is now leased to the USPCA and run by charity Wildlife NI.

Last night Mrs Chambers told the News Letter that she was angry her pets had been taken from her for so long.

“They caused irreversible damage to Roxy because she was kept in solitary confinement,” said Mrs Chambers.

“It was heartbreaking to have her put down but I was brought up to be a responsible dog owner and just couldn’t take the chance that she might attack someone else’s dog.

“I would ask the council to let Hooch live out his days in peace after what he’s been put through in the last year,” she said.

Mrs Chambers said she hoped the case would spark an urgent Assembly review of the law under which she was prosecuted.

“There are thousands of potentially dangerous alsations and rottweilers across Belfast which are not being targeted but they [the council] can come to a loving home and take my dogs away for a year.”

USPCA spokesman David Wilson agreed that the case highlighted the need for urgent changes to the dangerous dogs legislation.

“If the law had been different this would never have taken place,” he said.

“No one believes that it’s right for dogs to be incarcerated for this length of time – we have repeatedly expressed concerns about the law.”

Wildlife NI chief executive Norman Elder, who owns a tiger, said it was nonsensical that he was able to keep a big cat with a licence but owning pit bull dogs was outlawed.

“The dogs are kept away from their owners for so long before the cases come to court that even if the judge frees them they will have to be put down,” he said.