Bubba: Vigil to be held for Portsmouth dog put down by police - with campaigners furious they had no chance to save him

Campaigners trying to save a dog that was condemned to death are devastated that they were given no time to save it.

And now a vigil will be held in Portsmouth to commemorate Bubba, with supporters urged to attend outside Portsmouth Central Police station in memory of the dog.

Hampshire Constabulary says that it followed procedures correctly - and has pointed out that keeping Bubba in kennels for 18 months cost £29,000.

Bubba escaped from his home in Green Road, Southsea in August 2024 and killed a small dog named Darcy. His owner Richard Penfold admitted allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or lead in November 2024 and accepted a fine, but appealed the part of the 2024 judgement which would have seen Bubba destroyed.

Last Friday this appeal was heard at Portsmouth Crown Court, but was turned down by Judge Daniel Sawyer.

Supporters of Bubba believed that they had a 21-day grace period to save Bubba, who has been in kennels since the incident. They believed that if they could find a new “suitable keeper” for Bubba, they could apply to magistrates to have Bubba’s ownership transferred.

The vigil is planned for Sunday, September 6 at 12.30pm. Attendees are asked to leave dogs at home, but to bring a candle and a squeaky toy to “sound out for Bubba”. It will be outside the main city police station in Winston Churchill Avenue. A note with the protest says: “This is a strictly peaceful event to honour Bubba’s life, his memory, and the happy times he shared.”

Gill Henderson, who campaigns on behalf of dogs, has been in contact with Bubba’s legal team.

She said: “There’s absolutely no justification for that dog being euthanised. The only way it would have been lawful would be if Bubba’s legal team had stated’ ‘we do not intend to appeal’. Despite that the police have killed the dog. That in itself is wrong.”

Ms Henderson said that there were two potential new owners for Bubba waiting in the wings, who could have taken on the dog.

Campaigners are also unhappy that Bubba - who was known as Simba at first - was initially registered erroneously as an XL Bully and then later as a pitbull, when his owner was told he was a pitbull, when in fact a breed expert has now examined the pictures and says that Bubba was not of a breed that needs to be registered as a dangerous dog.

Maria Craig has written to Hampshire Constabulary to make a formal complaint and demand an investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department.

Her letter says: “Following the ruling at Portsmouth Crown Court, a standard 21-day statutory timeframe to lodge a High Court appeal or submit a Section 63 variance application remained fully active. Crucially, the instructed prosecution and defence solicitors were both explicitly aware of this 21-day window and the ongoing efforts to legally secure an approved keeper under the Index of Exempted Dogs.

“No police officer or force is above the law. By rushing to execute an animal before the statutory 21-day legal window had lapsed, your officers deliberately sabotaged the owner’s right to appeal, rendering any subsequent legal applications entirely moot. This is an egregious abuse of executive power used to evade judicial scrutiny, and it must stop immediately.”

A police spokesman said: “On Wednesday, August 7 2024, a woman in her 40s was walking her two-year-old Cavapoo on Green Road in Southsea, when her dog was mauled in an unprovoked attack by a dog which is identified as a pitbull.

“This breed is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991. The woman took her dog to the vet and sadly it later passed away. Richard Penfold, 53, of Green Road, Southsea was charged with allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or lead.

“He pleaded guilty and in November 2024 a court ordered that the animal be put down. An appeal was lodged within the initial 21-day appeal period against the destruction order imposed by the court, so a stay order was issued by the courts and the dog was kept in police kennels until the appeal was heard. His time in kennels has cost a total of more than £29,000.

“The appeal against the destruction order was dismissed on August 7 this year by the Crown Court and the destruction order was then carried out humanely by a vet, as there were no further stay orders for an appeal issued by the court.”