An East Devon owner of a ‘dangerous’ XL Bully dog, adopted from the RSPCA, has given an insight into daily life living with the banned breed.
Georgie Ashton, aged 38, from Newton Poppleford, in East Devon, adopted two-year-old Stanley from the RSCPA Little Valley Animal Shelter near Exeter as a puppy after he was born in police kennels when cops seized his mum.
Georgie said it was a nail-biting wait to learn from the court if she could keep Stanley, adding it was a ‘huge relief’ to learn the pup could stay.
The court warned the dog would be destroyed if she failed to register an exemption certificate by a certain date, requiring Georgie by law to muzzle and keep him on a lead when out in public
With court firmly behind them, XL Bully Stanley now enjoys going with Georgie to The Donkey Sanctuary, in Sidmouth, where she works as a groom.
Georgie Ashton is pictured here with her XL Bully dog Stanley, adopted as a puppy from the RSPCA. Photo: with permission.
Georgie said: I lost my English Bull Terrier, Trevor, and had been looking for another dog when I saw Stan on the RSPCA’s website. He had been born in police kennels after his mum was seized.
“I’ve always loved bull breeds and know they don’t deserve the reputation they sometimes get.
“All of the puppies were rehomed on the condition that they went through the identification process when they were old enough and Stan was classed as an XL Bully which meant I then had to apply to get him exempted.”
Stanley was born in police kennels after his in-pup mum was seized. Photo: with permission.
She said the nerve-wracking wait was made easier by the police, who measured Stanley while he was at work with Georgie, and allowed the puppy to stay with her on a short-term exemption order until the court hearing, meaning did not have to go back into police kennels.
Georgie began getting Stanley used to a muzzle at an early age, and the law means he must always wear it out in public. Photo: with permission.
“The worst part of taking on Stan was the fear of the unknown of the assessment and exemption process,” Georgie said.
“It was a huge relief when he got to stay with me and didn’t have to go into kennels, it would have been so stressful for him to go back into that environment, especially as he was recovering from double surgery to his cruciate ligaments at the time.
“I didn’t have to attend the court hearing but receiving the judgement in the post was terrifying, especially as it talked about a destruction order. My heart dropped when I read the words, until I saw that it was all only relevant if I didn’t go on to arrange his exemption certificate by a certain date.”
Stan the XL Bully can run free in fenced fields at Georgie’s mum and dad’s private smallholding. Photo: with permission.
Stanley’s mum and her puppies were all rehomed following the dangerous dog ban restrictions.
Under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act, by law Stanley must wear a muzzle and stay on the lead at all times when out in public.
Georgie began muzzle training while he was young and other dog walkers near her East Devon home are used to seeing him wearing it out and about.
Stanley, pictured here at The Donkey Sanctuary where Georgie works, is just a ‘normal dog’ at home. Photo: with permission.
“People who live near me knew me and my previous dog and were excited to meet Stan when I first brought him home,” she said. “He initially wasn’t banned so they all got used to seeing him without his muzzle.
“We started muzzle training quite early on and people knew why he needed to wear one so we didn’t really have much of the misunderstanding and judgement that I know many other exempted dogs get.”
The ban means Stanley can never run and play with other dogs, which he finds’ difficult’. But he has off-lead exercise at Georgie’s mum and dad’s private smallholding, where he can be free in their fenced fields.
Stan gets time off the lead, muzzle-free, when Georgie takes him to her mum and dad’s private smallholding. Photo: with permission.
Stanley was born in police kennels and was adopted by his owner through the RSPCA. Photo: with permission.
Georgie said: “He gets excited to see other dogs which can be hard because he’s not allowed off his lead to play so he sometimes gets frustrated.
“Luckily, my parents have a private smallholding with secure paddocks so he gets lots of time to run free there.
“He is like a big puppy. Because he was born in police kennels and then fell ill, he missed out on an important chunk of the puppy learning curve like socialisation and boundaries.
“He had really bad separation related behaviour to begin with and he was very clingy, it took a long time to gradually teach him that it was okay to be on his own by sleeping next to his crate and slowly moving further and further away each night.
“I think he finally realised that this is his home and we always come back, and his crate is his cosy safe space. He’s really settled now and is just a normal family dog.”
Stanley would like to run around and play with other dogs but by law he must stay on the lead and wear a muzzle in public. Photo: with permission.
She added: “He thinks he’s a lapdog but takes up most of the sofa! He likes to be touching you when he’s sleeping. He loves water and paddling, although he’s not really built for swimming.
“He’s generally just happy in life without any trouble in the world, as far as he’s concerned. He’s a big dope, but I wouldn’t have him any other way.”
During the day Stanley goes with Georgie to work at The Donkey Sanctuary. She said the charity has its own dogs-at-work policy, another for on-site XL Bully dogs, and was ‘understanding’ of her dog’s background.
Georgie said: “I’m lucky to be in a position where Stan can come to work with me and has a nice kennel set-up there.
Stanley enjoys going with Georgie when she works as a groom, looking after donkeys. Photo: with permission.
“A few of us bring our dogs to work and the kennel block that they stay in while we’re out working looks out over the fields; he loves to watch the donkeys grazing in the paddocks and go to say ‘hello’ to his friends when we’re walking around the grounds.
“All dogs at the site have to be on the lead at all times, but Stanley also has to have his muzzle on when he’s out and about in the sanctuary. This is about ensuring the safety of our dogs as well as the donkeys, as donkeys can be very territorial.”
She added: “All dogs at our site have to be on the lead at all times and be third-party insured, but Stanley also has to have his muzzle on when he’s out and about in the sanctuary.”
Stanley has to have his muzzle and lead on when out and about around the sanctuary. Photo: with permission.
