Court cries wolf

A wolf-dog seized by a council won a reprieve yesterday in a case that will make legal history. Tobin, a one-year-old Canadian Timberwolf hybrid, was seized by Sedgefield Borough Council, who claimed that he was a danger to the public. Tobin won a reprieve in Durham County Court and will be kept in a secret location until the case comes back to court to decide whether he is a wolf or a dog.

Tobin was seized last month after the council claimed that he needed a special licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which covers animals such as wolves and coyotes, requiring a special permit from a local authority to keep one.

His owner, Thomas Coates, said that his dog does not need a special licence because he is not a wolf, but a type of husky, which are classed as domestic pets.