Omagh holds dangerous dog amnesty

A second district council in Northern Ireland has introduced an amnesty on dangerous dogs.

A second district council in Northern Ireland has introduced an amnesty on dangerous dogs.

Owners of pit bulls and other illegal breeds can hand them in to council staff in Omagh.

The move follows the New Year's Day mauling to death of five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson at her grandmother's house in St Helens, Merseyside.

The Omagh amnesty will last two months and allows owners to hand over their dogs without fear of prosecution. Derry City Council is considering a similar move.

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The idea for the first amnesty, in Ballymena, followed a pit bull attack on a family in Co Antrim in November.

Sean and Deirdre Doherty, their son, Ben, and a family friend escaped with minor injuries after an attack by a pit bull-type dog in Randalstown Forest Park. Their pet Labrador was killed.

PA