Owner of impounded bully XL protesting outside Penzance Police Station wants ‘big and soft’ dog back.

An XL bully owner whose dog was seized last month in unusual circumstances says he wants ‘big softie’ back in his arms. Brian Evans, 70, has not seen his beloved dog since he was taken into police custody last month.

Since then, the pensioner has spent time protesting outside the police station and says even his neighbors have offered to write letters vouching for the character of his now-banned dog breed. Storm, a two-and-a-half-year-old XL Bully, has not been seen by his owners on the move for over five weeks since the dog was found unattended, without a muzzle or lead, in Penzance.

“I still don’t know what’s going on,” Brian said. “All I know is he’s alive and the police told me he’s a nice dog, but when they found Storm he was apparently sitting there. I feel so sorry for Storm. I just can’t understand. “

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Brian, who lives in Trewellard, West Cornwall, says he is not entirely sure what happened the day the dog was taken but says Storm was being looked after by his son Jet Evans as Brian had building work on the property to. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the dog was found in public without a lead or muzzle, which are now legal requirements.

“It was a nightmare because the main reason my son had him in Penzance was because I was doing building work on my house at the time, so we thought it was best while we had all the builders and everybody inside,” Brian said, but it might not explain why the dog wasn’t wearing the necessary items.

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“If you talk to anyone who knows Storm, they’ve all been willing to write letters and support him,” he continued. “We know old ladies who have been petrified by dogs and they cuddle with him and all our neighbors keep asking us where he is.

“He’s a big lump but he’s the softest thing. If he can sit on my lap he will. He’ll sleep. I pamper him and give him digestive biscuits and crisps because he’s such a good boy.

“For the first few weeks we stood outside the police station and they didn’t even tell us if he was alive,” he said. You may recognize Brian from earlier last month when he was seen holding a sign outside the station on Penalverne Drive calling for Storm’s release.

He claims he has received little information from police about when or how he can get his dog back since then. “I do not know what happens. I know he’s alive and they told me he’s a nice dog, but when they found Storm he was apparently sitting there with my son’s bag waiting for him to come back.

“My son tells me he doesn’t remember anything about what happened and why the dog was there. I feel so sorry for Storm. I just can’t understand it.”

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He said he tried to get hold of his canine liaison officer from the force, who he believes is on leave until the end of this month. “I dread to think what the poor dog is going through,” he said. “Every time I try to talk to someone, they seem to be on vacation. I just can’t understand how the harness and muzzle came off because it always takes me so long to put it on.”

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called at around 6.45pm on April 1 to reports of concerns about a dog in Penzance. An XL bully dog ​​was found unattended and without a muzzle or harness, in violation of exemptions. The dog was impounded, and investigations continue.”

From 31 December 2023, all XL attack dogs must be muzzled when in public places, including cars, and must be on a lead at all times. Brian says he has no idea why the dog wasn’t on a lead or muzzle at the time or how it ended up on the loose in town.