Dog owner complains after Milton Keynes vet seems terrified of her 'big softie' XL Bully

A furious XL Bully owner has put in an official complaint after a vet publicly branded her dog dangerous and said she was scared to treat him.

Lisa-Marie Goulding sent her dog Koda with her mum to get his booster jab at the vet clinic in Jollyes at Westcroft on Tuesday, making sure he was fully muzzled and his government registration paperwork and insurance was in place.

But the female vet took one look at him and refused to see him for his appointment time, saying he was “dangerous” and she was “scared of large dogs,” claims Lisa-Marie.

"My mum was embarrassed. Koda is a big softie and was sitting there quietly and calmy, as good as gold,” she said. “Even the other people in the waiting room were sympathetic and commented on how good he was being.

"Whoever heard of a vet being scared of large dogs? And how can she say a dog is dangerous without knowing it?”

Anne-Marie’s mum had to wait until the end of surgery. When she finally took Koda in, she claims couldn't complete his observations properly, checking his heart rate, etc, because she confessed she was “too scared" to touch him.

The family say the same thing happened with the same vet a year ago, when rescue dog Koda went for his first jabs.

“We hoped this was a one off, but it happened again… The vet seemed terrified,” said Anne-Marie

"I appreciate that XL Bullys are now a banned breed, but this level of discrimination against a dog who was well under control is absolutely disgusting,” she added.

Anne-Marie has now left a stinking review on TrustPilot, where the store usually gathers 5-star praise. She has also switched to another veterinary practice elsewhere in Milton Keynes.

The Citizen spoke to Jollyes staff at the store, who explained that the once-weekly vet clinic is contracted by head office as a community service. One source said: “We’re aware of this incident and we know the customer was upset. I know the vet has had a previous bad experience with a large dog so is a bit wary of them.”

Jollyes head office is now investigating with the company that supplies the vet to the store.

A Jollyes spokesperson told the Citizen: “We appreciate the feedback. Our pet clinics are run by independent accredited vets and we’re picking up with the provider of the service to understand precisely what happened.”

The XL Bully ban officially came into force today (Thursday), following a string of attacks on humans, which included fatalities.

It means it’s now a criminal offence to own an XL bully unless the owner has a Certificate of Exemption. The dog must wear a muzzle in a public place and full liability insurance must be in place.

Koda, who is three, is fully legal and a very sweet-natured family pet, said Anne-Marie.

“Honestly, she’s a great big soft marshmallow of a dog. She’s great around children and we could not wish for a better pet.

"We feel she has been very unfairly treated by this vet. I am complaining to Jollyes and also the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.”