A FAMILY in Rhuddlan is pleading for donations to save their XL Bully dog from being put down.

Ayda, who is 10 months old, has been diagnosed with cruciate ligament disease, so needs a £3,000 operation on the knees of both of her back legs.

Without these operations, her owner Paul Warrand said, she may have to be “put to sleep”.

Paul, whose family have had Ayda since she was eight weeks old and whose two daughters “love her to bits”, has started a GoFundMe page appealing for donations to fund the operations.

You can help him reach his £6,000 target by visiting: www.gofundme.com/f/aydas-operation.

He said: “Ayda is such a loving family pet. Obviously, the breed was banned at the back end of last year and, unfortunately for us at that time, no pet insurances would cover a banned breed.

“Her back knees no longer work, which means she cannot walk.

“We have spent all our savings over the last three weeks trying to get a diagnosis, consultations, X-rays and medication.

“This has left us with two options - put her to sleep, or a GoFundMe - with her being only 10 months old, she hasn’t lived.”

Since December 31, 2023, it has been a legal requirement for all XL Bully dogs in the UK to be kept on a lead and wearing a muzzle when being walked outside.

It also became illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray from that day.

This followed 23 people losing their lives after dog attacks in the last three years, many of which involved dogs of this breed.

Paul added: “It’s very upsetting (that no pet insurances will cover a banned breed) because they’re still family pets, and they’re still animals who need care.

“She’s brilliant with our two girls, who are 12 and 15.

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“Her first operation is booked for February 22 in Cheshire - as it stands now, she can’t walk. I’m having to carry her outside to go to the toilet.”

The £6,000 needed, Paul said, will solely cover Ayda’s operations, and not the additional aftercare, support or future appointments she may need.

On the GoFundMe page, he wrote: “This diagnosis has floored us. It is every pet’s worst nightmare.

“If you can donate as little as £1, we will be forever in your debt.”