Owner of dog that bit girl begs for life of ‘fur baby’ to be spared

The heartbroken family of an American XL Bully dog which bit a teenager’s leg are begging for his life to be spared.

Four-year-old Blu was seized by Cleveland Police after he bit the 15-year-old girl in the garden of the family home on Monday evening. But, his devastated owners have launched a petition to save their ‘fur baby’ saying he is the ‘most loveable dog in the world’ and shouldn’t be punished for something they do not believe was his fault.

Jess Petty, 24, said Blu was locked in his pen in the garden on Monday evening when her niece, who was alone at the house at the time, let him out – even though Jess claims she was under strict instructions not to.

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She said: “Blu is the safest baby ever. He has grown up around my two children. This was totally out of character.

“My niece is totally devastated. She loves Blu as much as we do and she feels so guilty that he has been taken away. But, she’s just a kid at the end of the day.”

Jess, who is mum to River, four, and one-year-old Tommy, said she always safely locks Blu in his pen in the garden of the Victoria Terrace home in Port Clarence when she and her partner, Liam Parkinson, 25, go to work.

She said: “We always say to her (the teenager who visits regularly) do not let him out when we are not around. But, she said he was crying so she let him in the garden with her.”

Neighbours heard the commotion and called emergency services, but Jess got home first and took her niece straight to hospital. She said by this time Blu had become frightened and managed to get out of the garden.

The care worker said: “My partner found him the next day in a nearby field. We phoned the police to let them know we had found him and they came and took him.”

Jess claims the incident has been blown out of proportion and that had Blu been a little breed of dog nothing would have happened over it. She said: “I went to the police station to find out what was happening, but they wouldn’t tell me anything, not even where he is. He’s not a banned breed, we have all his papers.

“We are all really upset. River keeps saying ‘I miss Blu, when is he coming home?’ Jess said they are terrified an order will be made to have Blu euthanised.

She said: “I don’t think it’s fair he should be put down for no fault of his own.” The petition, which can be seen here, already has more than 440 signatures.

TeessideLive has contacted Cleveland Police for a further comment. On Wednesday the force said: “Enquiries are ongoing into the incident and no one has been arrested.”

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