Ban on XL bullies could lead to MORE dog attacks because owners could keep them locked up inside and breeders will move to other large animals, experts say
- New rules come into force on December 31 that owners must be aware of
The UK ban on the dangerous XL bully dog could lead to more attacks if the pets end up becoming frustrated by being kept indoors, a senior vet has warned.
New rules due to come into force on December 31 will make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, rehome, abandon or allow the XL bully to stray in England and Wales.
It will also be illegal to own an XL bully from February 1 next year unless the animal is on an exempt list, called the Index of Exempted Dogs. Those who wish to keep their dogs have until the end of January to register them with the exemption scheme or they can choose to have their dog euthanised and apply for compensation.
Owners will be forced to comply with strict rules including the requirement to muzzle them and keep them on a lead in public, but the dogs must also be microchipped and neutered.
But Dave Martin, a welfare adviser to 900 practices in the UK, fears the consequences if these dogs are kept without stimulation.
‘My worry is that the American bully XL population is quite young… so we’ve got young, fit, athletic dogs who are going to have a high demand for exercise, high demand for stimulation,’ he told the BBC.
Jack Lis, 10, suffered fatal head and neck injuries after he was attacked by an XL Bully in Caerphilly in 2021; his mother has since campaigned for the breed to be banned
Ian Price, 52, was mauled to death by two XL Bullies on September 14 – the ban on XL Bullies was announced by Rishi Sunak the next day
‘We know a lot of the fatal attacks have occurred in the house or with dogs escaping… if we end up frustrating these dogs, they’re not getting the exercise they need, is that going to run the risk of more attacks within the house?
‘We don’t know is the simple answer but it is a concern…some dogs may be more likely to attack than they were beforehand.’
He said he understood the government’s decision, but feared the uncertain knock-off effects.
The vet also worries people will just move on to other aggressive dogs.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) also fears the rules may lead to a ‘postcode lottery’ on vets being able to help owners meet the terms, the BBC previously reported.
The charity said: ‘We fear that these factors will result in a postcode lottery on helping owners euthanise or neuter their bully XLs, and could increase abandonment rates for owners that have nowhere else to turn.’
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The breeding and sale of American XL Bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year – with a ban on keeping them without a certificate following in February
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the XL bully ban after a spate of violent attacks which left many people injured or dead.
In October, a woman was injured after she was attacked by her own American XL bully in Norfolk.
In September, 52-year-old Ian Price, from Staffordshire, died in hospital after being attacked by two American XL bullies.
In November last year, Jack Lis, 10, was killed by a American XL bully while at a friend’s house in South Wales. The owners of the dog, Amy Salter and Brandon Haydon, were jailed as a result of the attack.
Dogs more than a year old on January 31 must be neutered by June 30 next year, while those less than 12 months old must be neutered by December 31, 2024.
Owners without a certificate of exemption will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine if they are found to be in possession of an XL bully as of February 1, and their dog could be seized.
Injuries and deaths after attacks by XL Bully type dogs
Jonathan Halstead, 35
Jonathan Halstead, 35 – January 29, 2020
Jonathan died after a severe neck injury and bites after being attacked in his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester by his pet Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bronson.
It is believed the dog attacked him when his its owner suffered an epileptic fit.
Jack Lis, 10
Jack Lis, 10 – November 8, 2021
Schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, suffered catastrophic injuries in the mauling by an American XL Bully dog called Beast while visiting a friend’s home in Penyrheol in Caerphilly, Wales on November 8, 2021.
Neighbours and Welsh Ambulance Service paramedics desperately tried to save him but he died at the scene. Armed police destroyed the dog on site.
Adam Watts, 55
Adam Watts, 55 – December 22, 2021
Adam Watts, 55, was attacked at the Juniper Kennels and Cattery in Kirkton of Auchterhouse, near Dundee, and was pronounced dead at the scene on December 22, 2021.
MARCH 21, 2022: Undated family handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of Bella-Rae Birch
Bella-Rae Birch, 17 months – March 21, 2022
Toddler Bella-Rae Birch was attacked by her family’s pet American Bully XL dog when she was just 17 months old.
The vicious dog snatched the child out of her mother’s arms while they were at their home in Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, on March 21 last year.
Keven Jones, 62
Keven Jones, 62 – May 28, 2022
Keven Jones died after he was attacked by an American Bully XL dog in Wrexham, Wales on May 28 last year.
Ambulance workers attempted to save him but they were unable to stop his left leg from bleeding.
Mr Jones was then pronounced dead at his son’s house following the attack.
Joanne Robinson, 43
Joanne Robinson, 43 – July 15, 2022
Mother-of-two Joanne Robinson, 43, was killed by her American Bully XL dog, Rocco, after it ‘turned mad in the extreme heat’ in July last year.
She died at the scene of the attack at home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire while her partner, Jamie Stead, was left with injuries to his hands, stomach and face as he tried to pull the animal off her.
Joanne’s mother Dot, of Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, revealed at the time that Rocco had previously fought with their other dog Lola – and she had warned her daughter to ‘get rid of one of them’.
Ian ‘Wiggy’ Symes, 34
Ian Symes, 34 – August 2022
Ian ‘Wiggy’ Symes, 34, who is understood to have been walking a Bully XL dog himself at a recreation ground in Fareham, Hampshire, died at the scene following a horrific dog attack in August 2022.
His devastated family said he was out dog walking and ‘doing something he loved’ when he died at the field in Fareham, Hampshire.
Ann Dunn, 65
Ann Dunn, 65 – October 3, 2022
Ann Dunn, 65, was found collapsed with ‘catastrophic injuries’ at her Liverpool home she shared with seven dogs on October 3 last year.
She was mauled to death by dogs including an American Bully XL – and had been sent to hospital a year before her death because she had been bitten by a dog.
Shirley Patrick, 83
Shirley Patrick, 83 – December 3, 2022
Widowed grandmother Shirley Patrick, 83, died after being viciously mauled by an XL Bully in her own home.
The retired nurse died in hospital 17 days after suffering ‘life-threatening injuries’ during the ‘hellish’ and ‘violent’ dog attack in Caerphilly, South Wales on December 3 last year.
Jonathan Hogg, 37
Jonathan Hogg, 37 – May 18, 2023
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was mauled to death by an American XL Bully dog after it turned on him while he was looking after it for a friend.
He entered the dogs’ pen when it went for him, leaving bite wounds on his arm, leg and head, an inquest heard.
He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries after the mauling in Leigh, Greater Manchester, on May 18 this year.
Ian Price, 52
Ian Price, 52 – September 14, 2023
On Thursday, September 14, ‘pillar of the community’ Ian Price, 52, was attacked and killed by two ‘devil’ XL Bully dogs after they jumped out of his neighbour’s window in Stonnall, Staffordshire.
Mr Price, from Stonnall, Staffordshire, was attacked and killed by the two dogs which jumped out of a neighbour’s window yards from a primary school. He reportedly died defending his elderly mother from the animals.
The dogs bit him and ripped the clothes from his body leaving him dying in a pool of blood in his boxer shorts in the horror attack just feet from his home.
Ian Langley, 54
Ian Langley, 54 – October 3, 2023
Ian Langley, 54, was set upon on the estate in Sunderland on October 3 this year by an enormous XL Bully dog which grabbed him by the neck as he bent down to pick up his Patterdale terrier pup.
The attack left Mr Langley needing CPR for around 15 minutes as emergency services fought to staunch heavy bleeding from his wounds. However he tragically succumbed to his injuries. His dog survived.
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