Twenty-two dogs, most believed to be XL bullies, were seized by the police from an illegal dog breeding facility in Darnall, Sheffield.
On Thursday, 2 May, South East Sheffield Neighbourhood Policing Team and colleagues from Sheffield City Council’s Animal Health carried out a combined site visit and discovered dogs, including puppies, living in terrible conditions and requiring veterinary attention. They were found at allotments on Infield Lane in Darnall.
Dog Legislation Officers and the RSPCA responded to assist the officers and helped seize all the canines. The majority of the dogs are reported to be banned American XL bullies.
Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, lead investigator, said: “Separate to the investigation around these dogs being XL bullies, animal cruelty and suffering will not be tolerated within South Yorkshire, and we will continue to work with partners to ensure those responsible are put before the courts.”
The dogs were living in small, inadequate, unhygienic conditions, with several dogs needing urgent help. Six dogs had to be put to sleep while the remaining 16 dogs remain in police kennels while the investigation continues.
Ch Insp Cheney added: “We do not know how long some of the dogs have been living in these conditions, with female dogs having litters of puppies, while in their own suffering state.”
Since 31 December 2023, the government has made it illegal to ‘sell, give away, abandon, or breed XL bully dogs’. It has also made owning an XL bully without an exemption certificate a criminal offence from 1 February 2024. South Yorkshire police have seized more than 300 dogs until May 2024.
Michelle Jones, a user on X/Twitter, replied to a South Yorkshire Police tweet on the matter, saying: “I hope the police keep the puppies and turn them into trained police working dogs. These dogs are not bad they just need training.”
Police have identified a suspect and are conducting enquiries. Anyone with any information should get in touch with South Yorkshire police by calling 101, quoting incident number 315 of 2 May 2024.
