Hank, the dog on trial for being a pitbull, has been reunited with his owners

Rejoice!

A mongrel, who was the subject of an international campaign, has finally been reunited with his owners after being seized by Belfast City Council for ‘looking like a pitbull.’

Two-year-old Hank was seized by dog wardens last month and sparked a worldwide crusade for his release.

Celebrities such as presenter Dermot O’Leary, boxer Carl Frampton and dog trainer Victoria Stillwell offered their support to the cause to get Hank released along with an online petition signed by more than 280,000 people.

Yesterday in court an expert assessed Hank to be a pit bull terrier type, yet he recommended that the dog be placed on the council’s exemption register.

By law, under Article 25(a) of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 there are a number of dog types, including pit bulls, considered to be inherently dangerous and can be destroyed.

However Lucky Hank is the 12th dog to be placed on the exemption register since 2011.

Hank’s owners Joanne Meadows and Leonard Collins were overjoyed with the result and are delighted to be able to take their pooch home again.

Joanne and Leonard said they are incredibly grateful to the public for getting behind their cause and the pair don’t think they would have got back their family friend as quickly without the public pressure.