A Portlethen woman who was walking her son’s XL Bully without a muzzle has been warned the dog could be destroyed.
Susan Reid appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted not keeping the animal – named Tyson – on a lead or with a muzzle.
The 66-year-old was caught when a concerned member of the public took a photo of the unmuzzled animal and sent it to police.
Sheriff James Hastie warned Reid that the XL Bully could be destroyed and that she could face a ban from keeping dogs.
Reid could also face a sizable fine or six months imprisonment, according to the legislation.
New law on XL Bullys
The Scottish Government brought in new legislation in February this year that deemed XL Bullys a banned breed and required owners to seek an exemption certificate.
The new law states that all XL Bully owners now must ensure that their dog is “kept on a lead and is muzzled at all times when in a public place”.
A string of high-profile attacks involving the banned breed have taken place in Scotland this year.
It was stated that Reid was photographed on March 13 this year, as she walked Tyson around Badentoy Industrial Estate in Portlethen.
Her solicitor, Gregor Kelly, told the court that Reid had been looking after the dog, which belonged to her son.
Banned dog ‘should have been on lead’
The solicitor added that it was accepted that the dog was the banned XL Bully breed but said that on that day the dog’s muzzle had been damaged.
“The dog should have been on a lead,” Mr Kelly said.
“The muzzle was broken and she had taken the dog out where she thought no one would be.”
Mr Kelly added that Mrs Reid’s son had employed a dog behaviour specialist to get Tyson used to the muzzle.
This person was deemed the most appropriate to undertake a report into the dog’s behaviour and Mr Kelly said that, without the report, under the current law it would be “inevitable” that Tyson would be destroyed.
Sheriff Hastie told Reid: “In order to consider the potential destruction of the dog and for that I would need further information.”
He added that a report into Tyson’s background would need to be provided to the court.
The sheriff deferred sentence on Reid, of Thistle Drive, Portlethen, until October 24 in order for a report to be carried out.
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