Worldwide[edit]
A number of other countries have breed-specific legislation on the books. The United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland) restricts the ownership of pit-bull type dogs and other breeds. In May 2010, a pit-bull type dog named Lennox was impounded from his disabled owner and deemed to be a danger to the public by authorities in Belfast, Northern Ireland, under the Dangerous Dogs (NI) Order 1991.[84] The impoundment and subsequent court order to destroy Lennox sparked a two-year-long legal battle and heated public relations campaign over the fate of the dog that included an international letter-writing and social media campaign; a petition signed by more than 214,000 people worldwide;[85] street protests in Belfast, London, and New York City; public appeals from celebrities like the boxer Lennox Lewis and the First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson; and threatening letters and acts of violence directed at some of Belfast's dog wardens. Dog trainer and international television celebrity Victoria Stilwell campaigned to save Lennox's life, appealing to the Belfast City Council and Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle O’Neill to allow her to re-home Lennox in the United States, where several rescue organizations had offered him sanctuary. All appeals, including Stilwell's were ignored by Belfast City Councillors, and Lennox was euthanised on July 11, 2012. Belfast City Council declined to return Lennox's body, his collar, or his ashes to his family.[8
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