XL Bully sanctuary facing refusal for second time after damning Angus Council inspection

Scotland’s first XL Bully sanctuary is set for a council showdown as an application for a licence to operate faces refusal for the second time.

The bid to host up to 31 bulldog-breed dogs at the Happas Canine Centre near Forfar first emerged last year.

It was the idea of Kerryanne Shaw, who moved to Angus from Glasgow after raising more than £20,000 for the project.

Ms Shaw is the chairperson of charity All Bullie Charity Rescue.

However, a decision on the sanctuary’s licences was deferred earlier this month after Ms Shaw’s lawyer could not attend.

Licencing chiefs will now debate the future of the sanctuary at a civil licencing committee next month.

However, a damning inspection report from Angus Council’s animal welfare inspector Coreen Hill previously warned she did not believe Ms Shaw could safely manage up to 25 dogs at the facility.

Although the animals’ health was deemed to be “good”, the report noted that some of the dogs had “serious kennel guarding issues” and walls had been eaten due to stress.

One XL Bully had been kept at the property for more than 30 days, breaching the law in a case highlighted as a police matter.

The council inspector asked about another dog which was kept in isolation, however, the answer provided was deemed to highlight “further concerns regarding the lack of knowledge and understanding required to satisfactorily run the premises”.

Other issues raised include a lack of space if foster dogs were to return, out-of-date medication, a lack of toys or grooming tools, and significant gaps in record keeping.

The inspector concluded that Happas Canine Centre was not suitable for license and that it was unlikely that it would produce good records in the future.

At the time, Ms Shaw labelled the report as misleading, saying the centre was in a state of disrepair when she took over.

A second inspection has since been carried out and has once again recommended that councillors refuse the bid.

In her report, Ms Hill said: “Seventy days have passed since the previous inspection, and only minor improvements noted.

“The applicant does not fully understand the conditions that an animal welfare establishment must comply with to meet current Scottish Government guidelines.

“(Ms Shaw) has not demonstrated her ability to maintain the premises in such a manner to meet the licence conditions.”

The application will go before councillors at a civic licencing committee next month.