Hi, my name is Tia. I'm raising money to cover a private assessment for my two much-loved dogs.

Back in October they were wrongfully and maliciously reported as "unregistered XL bullies". They were seized based on their looks - let me stress this: there was no incident; they have never caused fear or harm to any member of the public or been out of control. Despite this, they were taken from their home based solely on how they look. They've now been held in police kennels for over 16 weeks. I haven't been able to see them, have any contact even denied having a photo send home for Christmas of them both. They were taken away in a van by strangers, put into an empty single kennel with nothing of their own and had their whole lives turned upside down.

My oldest girl, Lyla, was seized as well but has since been returned home after being assessed and confirmed not to be a banned breed. Having her back has been a huge relief, but it’s also made the absence of Lexi and Zeke even more painful. Their beds are still here. Their toys are still here. But they aren’t.

Meet Lexi & Zeke

Anyone who's had the pleasure of meeting Lexi, knowns she's a real sweetheart. She melts into you the moment you touch her and is everyone's favorite to meet. She has been training since she was 6 weeks old with a range of professional dog trainers, has high obedience and is eager to please. In the 2 years I’ve had her, she only spent a few nights away from me. After Lexi matured, she suffered severely with hormonal phantom pregnancies, so as a responsible owner she wears a muzzle for her own safety. She loves tug games and cuddling on the sofa. I've been told Lexi has adapted to kennel life but has lost weight - likely from stress.

Zeke story is different. He was terrified of the world. He was rescued from an abusive situation where he suffered both physical and emotional harm. When he came to me, he was terrified of men and never been shown how to simply be a dog. I took him to the beach for the 1st time and over time worked tirelessly to help him overcome his fear of strangers. He would panic even at the sound of a male's voice. I spent countless hours working on his behavior to give him a better life. The progress Zeke made within the 9 months I had him was amazing to witness. He was misunderstood and fearful but growing in confidence every day. Before he was seized, we had gotten to the stage where he was meeting new people and enjoying his newfound freedom. With time, patience, and training, he bonded beautifully with the other girls and was finally learning to feel safe. His favorite place to be is at the beach and having zoomies. In kennels, however, Zeke has been extremely stressed and relucted to be handled - understandable given his past trauma and unfamiliar environment, his progress is at risk as his trauma resurfaces.

Why I Need Help

Both dogs have been assessed as "American Pit Bull Terrier" by the police dog assessor. Anyone who has ever seen a true American Pitbull terrier would know they aren't pitbulls. We now have a court date to challenge the police's assessment. Without this private, independent expert to assess them, I cannot testify, and I would be forced to accept the police classification - meaning both my dogs would legally be considered banned breed. If that happens, they'll face lifelong restrictions: muzzled in public, always on a lead, tightly controlled environments and worst of all - The most heartbreaking part, if anything ever happened to me, my dogs would be destroyed. They would have no future without me. It would also prevent us from enjoying simple, everyday freedom like running on the beach, and many places refuse entry to any dog legally deemed a banned breed, even if muzzled and controlled.

Breed Specific Legislation does nothing to protect the public. My dogs have never harmed anyone, yet they’ve spent weeks locked away in police kennels. I provided the police with evidence — photos, videos of their training, and even a written statement from our professional dog trainer confirming that they pose no risk to the public. Despite this, the police refused to return them under the interim exemption scheme while we waited for our court date. Their reason? Because I refused to agree with their assessment of my dogs’ breed.

We’ve reached out to Save Our Seized Dogs for support, but due to the overwhelming number of cases like ours, they’re unable to take on any more at this time. That’s why I’ve created this page — to fight for my dogs myself, and to give them the chance they deserve.

What the Funds Are For

This assessment is my only chance to fight for Lexi and Zeke, and for the life they deserve. This assessment comes at a huge cost of £1,600, money we simply don't have. These dogs are not dangerous - They are family. I've given my everything, time, money, energy and love, to give my dogs the best life possible. They are my world. Now I'm facing a legal and financial battle I never should have had to fight.

Every donation, no matter how small, helps covers the cost of the independent assessment need to prove Lexi and Zeke are not banned breeds and to finally bring them home where they belong. Please help me reunite with my family. If you can’t donate, please share our story. Lexi and Zeke deserve to come home.

Thank you for your kindness and support.

*****UPDATE*****

We’ve just received the heartbreaking news we were praying wouldn’t come. Zeke has had to have a tooth removed after breaking it on a catchpole—despite police assuring us these would never be used on our dogs. He was forced out of a transport crate by strangers, in a frightening and unfamiliar environment, and the fear and pain he must have felt is unimaginable. We don’t even know how long he suffered with his broken tooth before it was treated. Lexi is also struggling in kennels; she’s developed stress-related allergies and her ears are now painfully sore and bandaged. We were never informed of any of this, despite repeatedly asking for updates. Both of our dogs are hurting, physically and emotionally, because of an experience they never deserved. We just want them home where they feel safe, loved, and cared for—and any help getting them back to us means more than words can ever express.

we have increased our goal to prepare for our court hearing. If Nottinghamshire Police decide to put a destruction order through, the hearing will go to a trail with increased solicitors fees. If the court grant exemption the funds will cover the kennels fee’s and vet bills which will all fall on me as their owner. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far!