22/09/2025
⚠️ Ahead of Max’s hearing on Tuesday, we wanted to share a round-up of his story so far - a journey filled with both highs and lows. It began in December 2024, when a 5-month-old puppy was seized as a stray by Lisburn & Castlereagh dog wardens. Many of you have stood with us through every step, but if there was ever a moment to catch up, or share wider, this is it. Here are the key moments in Max’s fight for justice.
Max, a pup born to a blue Staffordshire bull terrier dad and a brindle French bulldog mum — two perfectly legal and popular breeds in Northern Ireland — was found straying in December 2024. He was assessed by dog wardens and deemed a Pit bull type, then impounded under Breed Specific Legislation (“BSL”). At the time of assessment, Max was just 5 months old. For strays, BSL often seals their fate: many never leave the pound and die each year under the opinions of council dog wardens, disappearing into statistics.
For those less familiar, BSL focuses solely on a dog’s physical characteristics and excludes temperament. This makes Max’s case especially unjust. He has been assessed by numerous behaviourists, passing with flying colours.
❗️Court proceedings❗️
On Tuesday, 23rd September, Max’s fate will be determined at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court in the second part of his hearing. The case will be presented solely from the council’s perspective.
Back in May, Max’s campaign lost the first part of the case — the attempt to argue that Max’s new owner, Molly, should have legal representation in court. Both Max’s campaign and the council’s legal team had agreed Molly was a suitable long-term home; however, the judge ruled that Northern Ireland legislation did not allow her to have standing. This decision diverges from precedents set in England. As a result, there will be no cross-examination of council evidence, leaving the court to hear only the council’s narrative that Max is a Pit bull type dog.
❗️Concerns about council-led evidence❗️
Those who have followed the case closely have seen many red flags emerge around the evidence presented by the council.
London-based KC barrister Cathryn McGahey, who represented Molly pro bono, argued that if Molly was not allowed to contest the council’s evidence, then who would? She warned that without cross-examination, the council’s application would go through “on the nod.”
Cathryn highlighted inconsistencies across evidence during the first court hearing. She pointed out that reports from dog wardens had been altered: including metrics changed and Max’s age being updated from 5 months to 8 months. For anyone aware of BSL, these are huge red flags, as both age and measurements are crucial factors in determining a dog’s breed. The fact that these were deliberately updated, with the original dates left in place, is misleading and dishonest.
❗️Early concerns about council conduct❗️
Part of the reason there has been so much public support and outcry around Max’s case is that LCCC have shown how persistent they are in validating the opinions of their dog wardens — who assessed a 5-month-old puppy to be of Pit bull type.
Max was assessed at just five months old, far too young to determine breed type. Breed identification typically cannot be reliable until at least 9–10 months. This concern drew the attention of the USPCA, which pushed for an independent expert opinion. Councillors unanimously supported this, but Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) ignored their wishes and instead appointed a Dog Legislation Officer from Merseyside Police.
From a campaign perspective, Zara Duncan said:
“I have little to say about the individual the council appointed to provide an opinion of Max, nor do I wish to give him this platform. The petition calling for him to be retrained, and the publicity around his apparently intimidating behaviour, say it all. What I do believe is that this was a calculated appointment by LCCC — one that many have described as a ‘gun for hire’ type scenario. I think the irony is striking: LCCC have thrown thousands of pounds at this case — hiring a KC barrister, covering kennel costs — and yet the most ‘suitable’ person they could appoint to show transparency was him.
It’s almost laughable. I feel sad and angry that Max had to spend time with this man, and I worry about what that assessment entailed. I would like to see full footage of the assessment to ensure Max was not treated like Buster.”
🙏 Max’s only independent assessment
Public pressure escalated, with hundreds protesting outside LCCC offices. The USPCA even threatened legal action when the council ignored councillors’ votes to work with them on an independent expert. Under this pressure, LCCC agreed to review the USPCA’s list of independent experts. From that list they selected Dr Helen Howell, who carried out the only truly independent assessment of Max.
Her conclusion was clear: Max was not a Pit bull type. Dr Howell’s assessment, completed in early spring, found that Max overwhelmingly did not meet the classification. It is understood that accounts from both wardens and assessors will be heard at the hearing on September 23rd.
⚠️The stakes ahead and wider implications
Max’s future will be decided on Tuesday. The outcomes are stark:
Best case: Max is found not to be a Pit bull type and freed without restrictions.
If not: He is placed on the exemption register, forced to live under lifelong restrictions. While this would spare his life, it would not be a just outcome — especially given the independent evidence that Max is not a Pit bull type.
Worst case: There remains the deeply unsettling possibility that Max is euthanised. However, we are led to believe the council do wish to let him live, as an exempted dog.
We have always said this case is about much more than Max. Beyond his story, the ruling carries wider significance. Stray dogs in Northern Ireland pounds remain vulnerable under BSL. With minimal training, council staff exercise disproportionate power over the lives of innocent crossbreeds, deciding their fate based on looks alone.
Ultimately, stray dogs of any questionable appearance are at the mercy of council staff who, with very limited training, get to use their judgement to play god over the lives of so many innocent crossbreed dogs — for no reason other than how they look. This is flawed and needs to change.
We hope Max’s suffering and plea can pave the way for that much needed change.
Please keep Max in your prayers as we move forward to his final hearing. We thank each and every one of you for being here with us throughout this, we truly mean it 🙏❤️
