Dog ownership battle fails in court as judge rejects Max’s new home bid

Max the dog

A Lisburn judge has dismissed the case for a new owner of a suspected Pit Bull dog.

Dundonald stray, ‘Max’, has been held at kennels by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) since he was seized in December 2024 amid suspicions he is a banned breed.

Campaigners brought the unique case to Lisburn Magistrates Court to determine if a potential new owner, Ms Molly Piper, could be given ‘standing’ as the owner and challenge the local authority’s findings over the pet’s breed.

District Judge Anne Marshall said:

“Ms Piper is not the keeper of the dog, she has showed an interest in the dog since it came into the custody of the council and has visited it twice briefly in the kennels, in the knowledge that it is believed by the council to be of a Pit Bull type.

“The height of her involvement is as a potential future of the dog and in my view that is a very tenuous link and gives her no rights in relation to the dog.

“I can’t find anything in the legislation which supports the case that Ms Piper is entitled to become involved as partner to the court’s decision making process. Only the keeper of the dog has standing, but she is clearly not a keeper.”

Two LCCC wardens and an expert assessor have previously identified Max as a Pitbull type breed. However, a fourth assessor, agreed between the local authority and the USPCA, declared in the dog’s favour.

The court was presented with newly disclosed documents on May 30 at an earlier hearing completed by LCCC dog wardens, who initially recorded Max as a suspected Pit Bull. The ‘December 2024’ reports were said by Ms Piper’s barrister to have been “doctored”.

However, there was no comment made on the documents at this stage during the judge’s findings on ownership of the dog.

The magistrate added:

“The protection of the dog under the legislation is that the court must make the ultimate decision rather than the council.

“In conclusion I feel there is no basis that I can find to allow Ms Piper’s standing in the present case. I find against Ms Piper and dismiss her application.”

A further date will now be set for the LCCC application to have Max recognised as a Pit Bull type and be put on the dangerous dogs register.

If the council’s case is proven, the dog would have to be kept under strict conditions by any potential new owner. A date for the local authority’s application is due to be agreed later this month.