Bully XL dead found caged in canal

An XL bully was found dead in a cage in a Birmingham canal, sparking an RSPCA investigation.

Brown Bully XL, an unneutered adult male aged between one and two, was found inside a metal cage in water on Crawford Street in Saltley on Friday, the RSPCA said.

RSPCA officers were called to the scene by police and scanned the dog, which was microchipped as ‘puppy 8’ with contact details for an address in West Bromwich.

When the address was visited by RSPCA officers, the occupants were said to be shocked and confirmed they had a litter of puppies they had sold and had no contact details for the new owner.

Inspector Laura Brewerton has launched an investigation into the dog’s suspicious death.

She said: “We currently do not know the circumstances of this dog’s death but it is incredibly worrying that he was found locked up in this crate floating in the water and we cannot rule out the possibility that he was thrown into the canal alive and left to die drown, which is awful.

“We are now investigating this heartbreaking incident and are urging anyone who recognizes this dog or who saw anything suspicious in this area on Friday – or in the days before – to contact us. This can be done anonymously.”

Anyone with information that could help the investigation should contact the RSPCA hotline on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message with reference 1288402.

From 1 February, owning the bully XL in England and Wales was an offense without an exemption certificate.

Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have the animal neutered, microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.

In January, the RSPCA said it had seen a number of “heartbreaking” cases of animals being given up or abandoned following the Government’s decision to ban the breed.