A dog seized by police was allegedly kept in kennels without exercise for two years.
Rottweiler Vinnie was impounded in 2013. According to the BBC, the trained guard dog attacked three people.
It is the second case to emerge within months in which a dog seized by officers has been kept in kennels for years.
The Rottweiler was held in the same private kennels as a pit bull called Stella, seized by Devon and Cornwall Police in 2014.
Stella had been kept in a 3ft by 9ft cage since she was taken in by the force.
Police said the illegal pit bull breed was “the only dog too dangerous to walk due to her aggressive behaviour" out of the "hundreds" it had seized in the last two years under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Such cases were “extremely rare”, police added.
The BBC reported Vinnie had been trained as a guard dog and police said he was used to attack three people.
In a statement issued to the BBC, police said: "Vinnie the Rottweiler was a dog seized and placed into kennels in 2013.
"Vinnie was a legal breed and was seized after it had bitten three people. Later the courts granted a destruction order on the dog who was put to sleep in the early to mid part of 2015.
"Within the last 100 dogs we have seized only Stella was deemed too dangerous to be exercised and instructions given to the kennel specifically in relation to this.
"It is important to stress that despite the very best effort of the police, the judicial process is not accelerated when a dog is placed in kennels. This is immensely frustrating for the police who hold animal welfare in the highest regard."
According to RSPCA guidelines, provided to all police forces, dogs must receive at least 30 minutes exercise away from their kennel at least once a day.
