Court date is set to decide the fate of Max the death row dog

Max the dog’s fate could be decided in court just after St Patrick’s day it has been revealed.

Max, a stray puppy has been held on ‘death row’ at kennels since last Christmas. Two Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council wardens and an expert assessor from Merseyside Met Police have previously identified Max as a Pit Bull type breed.

Under the UK’s Breed Specific Legislation a Pit Bull is a banned dog, which could result in the animal being put down.

However, a fourth assessor, agreed between the local authority and the USPCA has concluded overall that Max is not deemed a Pit Bull Terrier Type.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council held a confidential briefing with elected reps on Wednesday night.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that Max will potentially have his day in court scheduled for March 18. A new behavioural assessment is also expected to be carried out on the suspected Pit Bull with suggestions of assessors to the council from the USPCA.

LCCC elected members have raised their concerns to council CEO David Burns over what has been claimed to be a lack of transparency regarding the dog’s assessment reports, which has led to multiple confidential briefings, including this week.

The LDRS further understands the council has taken legal advice to withhold the full assessment reports from councillors. Over 13,600 people have now signed an online petition ‘Mercy for Max’ to save the dog with almost 300 people turning out in a public protest at the council HQ at Lagan Valley Island in January.

More than £10,500 has also been raised on a GoFundMe page ‘Save Max from Euthanasia’, as campaigners began to raise money for any legal costs in the fight to save Max.