Vicious XL bully dogs finally being banned
After at least 12 fatal maulings in just two years...
AMERICAN XL bully dogs will be a banned breed in england and Wales from December 31.
Rules due to come into force at the end of the year will make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow them to stray.
Owners of XL Bullies will be required to muzzle the dogs and keep them on a lead in public.
They are thought to have been responsible for at least 12 fatal attacks over the past two years.
XLs are the first breed to be added to the list of Dangerous Dogs since 1991 – joining pitbull terriers, the fila brasiliero, tosa and dogo argentino.
If owners want to avoid their dog being put down, they will have to apply for it to be exempted under a strict set of conditions before the end of January 2024.
And from February 1 it will become illegal to own the dogs and any non-exempt dogs will have to be destroyed under the rules. Those opting to have their dog put down will receive £200 compensation.
To be exempted, a court has to rule that the dog is not a danger to the public, and the dog will have to be neutered, microchipped and muzzled at all times in public.
environment Secretary Therese Coffey said ministers had taken ‘quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks’.
She added: ‘ We will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, as we take forward these important measures.’ in September, Rishi Sunak announced the prospect of a ban, declaring the breed a ‘ danger to communities’ after a man died in a suspected attack by two of the dogs in Stonnall, Staffordshire.
More than half a million people signed a petition objecting to the ban. Owners of the breed have staged protests, including a march through central London in September, at which demonstrators did not bring their dogs.
Critics have also raised doubts about a ban, arguing it can be hard to define the breed, and say more attention needs to be paid to the owners of dangerous dogs, rather than the animals themselves.
An official definition has now been published by the Government, with features including a ‘ heavy, large and broad’ head and a ‘ blocky or slightly squared’ muzzle.
The XL is also described as being ‘ heavily-muscled’ with a ‘ large, blocky body giving impression of great power for size’, and a glossy, smooth and close coat.
earlier this month, a woman was injured after she was attacked by her own American XL bully in norfolk.
Last month, ian Price, a 52-yearold dog owner from Staffordshire, died in hospital after being attacked by two XL bullies.
And in november last year, Jack Lis, ten, was killed by an XL while at a friend’s house in south Wales. The owners of the dog were jailed.
Lawrence newport, a law lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a supporter of the ban, said: ‘ Banning pitbulls and other dangerous dogs in the UK has been highly effective – keeping deaths to dogs incredibly low. A ban on the American bully XL – if properly enforced – will mean we can turn the tide from the unprecedented number of attacks, maulings and deaths that Britain has seen.’
The Dog Control Coalition, which includes the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association said it agreed action was needed but voiced concerns about the time allowed to comply with the rules and said Defra’s definition of an American bully XL was hugely subjective and open to interpretation.
The coalition also said it was not clear how many tens of thousands of dogs would be affected by the legislation.
‘Muzzled at all times in public’