Venue owner responds to calls for licence review after 'dangerous dogs' were allowed to enter unmuzzled at show

Bosses of Wolverhampton's The Hangar, in Pearson Street, have said that they 'take their responsibility to the community seriously' after West Midlands Police claimed that the venue had breached legislation relating to banned 'dangerous' dog breeds during a dog show event held last summer. 

The dog show event sparked controversy when West Midlands Police called for a review of the venue's licence by Wolverhampton Council over 'serious concerns' that the event 'had the prohibited breed of XL bullies in attendance', and that 'there were unmuzzled XL bullies' in close proximity to children. 

But venue bosses have now hit back at the safety concerns, saying that 'the event in question was a dog show for all breeds, explicitly inclusive of XL Bullies' and that 'there is no evidence to substantiate claims that XL Bullies at the event were unmuzzled or posed a risk to public safety'. 

A spokesperson for The Hangar, said: "The event in question was a dog show for all breeds, explicitly inclusive of XL Bullies, a breed that, to date, is not unlawful to have at a dog show or in public. This fact alone dispels the implication that the event was in any way unlawful or inappropriate. The XL Bully breed’s inclusion was consistent with the event's aim to celebrate and showcase a variety of dog breeds.