XL Bully owner sentenced for campaign to identify police officer who shot dog in the street
A Sheffield mum whose XL Bully was shot dead by police in the street has been told she will not be banned from keeping animals, despite being found guilty of having a “dog dangerously out of control.”
Sophie Zaherali’s pet, Ghost, escaped with no muzzle or lead, causing concern to residents, who contacted the police.
An armed response unit was sent to the scene of the incident in Dykes Hall Road, Wisewood, and a marksman shot Ghost dead.
Zaherali, aged 31, then launched a social media “campaign” aimed at identifying the officer responsible.
The officer, referred to as A35, has been granted anonymity by the court.
Zaherali admitted a charge of malicious communications in relation to her social media conduct, and was found guilty of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control - no injury, at the conclusion of a trial at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court .
Sentencing Zaherali to a 24-month community order at the same court today (December 16), district judge Tim Spruce said he believed Zaherali’s social media conduct, amounting to the malicious communication charge, was “borne out of grief and a desire to get justice for Ghost.”
He also said he believed her to be a responsible pet owner, and rejected calls from the prosecuting solicitor to ban her from keeping animals.
Judge Spruce described the case as “unusual,” stating that a “combination of circumstances” led to Ghost, a dog with no history of aggression or difficulties, being shot and killed on December 7, 2024.
He told the court that Zaherali was attending to a child with vulnerabilities having a medical emergency.
She was “preoccupied” and a “faulty lock” to the door of the property allowed Ghost to get loose and wander the streets, Judge Spruce said.
The judge acknowledged the court had no evidence to suggest Ghost was “behaving aggressively,” or that the police marksman dispatched to the scene witnessed him acting in such a way.
He noted, however, that whilst evidence of aggressive behaviour was not present, there were still circumstances that would have allowed the officer to “conclude he was dangerous.”
They included the two reports made to police that an XL Bully had become loose, causing concern to members of the public.
In addition, Judge Spruce said the officer had an “awareness of the nature of the breed” and the level of harm the dog was “potentially capable of.”
“The fact the dog ran towards the officer, there were circumstances to conclude he was dangerous,” Judge Spruce said.
He continued: “Having shot and killed Ghost, the officer was then subject to a campaign on social media, effectively asking for him to be exposed, identified and dismissed from his job.”
Judge Spruce said the malicious communication charge, which Zaherali pleaded guilty to on the day of her trial in October 2025, was the more serious charge.
He explained: “The problem with social media is that matters can very quickly escalate because they are not confined to those individuals making those comments.
Clearly, Sophie Zaherali had her reasons for making those comments, but others reading it can interpret them very differently indeed.”
Judge Spruce told the court that the officer had not been identified due to the “risk” to him and his family from those who may interpret the comments made by Zaherali, of Dykes Hall Road, Wisewood, Sheffield, negatively.
Judge Spruce said there had been no repetition of the “type of behaviour” in December 2024 and January 2025 which led to Zaherali being charged with a malicious communications offence, something he regarded as a mitigating factor.
Other mitigating factors highlighted by the judge included the fact the family had experienced the loss of a “beloved family pet.”
“I understand that Ghost was a stabilising factor to your personal circumstances,” he said.
Judge Spruce also said he believed the offences committed by Zaherali were “out of character.”
Referring to Zaherali’s pre-sentence report, Judge Spruce said it was clear she had taken the opportunity to reflect and would “wish to do things differently if the clock could be turned back.”
As part of Zaherali’s community order, Judge Spruce ordered her to complete a 40-session rehabilitation activity.
She was also ordered to pay £614 in costs.
It has been an offence to own an XL Bully dog in the UK since February 1, 2024, for owners who do not have an exemption certificate and fail to adhere to strict conditions around muzzles and leads.