‘The whole plan is going to fail’ - Animal rescue home explains what XL Bully ban will really mean

American XL Bully dogs have officially been banned and the government has issued guidelines outlining regulations for current owners. Under the new rules, which come into force at the end of the year, it will be illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL Bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.

The announcement follows Rishi Sunak’s pledge in September to put in place laws to ban the breed following a rise in fatal dog attacks across the country. However, the move has come in for criticism from vets and rescue centres, with some suggesting it’s political posturing rather than effective legislation.

“The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is there to deal with problem dogs, it’s all in place already,” says Emma Jensen, Director of Freshfields Animal Rescue in Merseyside. “The reason it’s not working is because none of the resources have been put into implementing it. Those resources are the police, the courts and assessors and it’s not cheap.”

She told LiverpoolWorld: ”When Rishi Sunak announced the ban, we were distraught about the impact. Knowing it would impact rescues, it would impact the owners who are responsible. It looks great to say we’re going to get a working group together and we’re going to put a ban on them. It sounds like they’re going to take action but that action has already been taken.”

Ms Jensen said she believes the ban would ‘fail’ because the cause of the problem is people, not dogs. She said the ban will also put added strain on already struggling dog homes and busy courts. “Where is the capacity going to come from? Where is the funding going to come from? At that point, the whole plan is going to fail.”

Watch the video at the top of this page for our full feature on the XL Bully ban and its impact.

Key details of XL Bully ban

• From 31 December 2023, these dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
• From 1 February 2024 , it will then become illegal to own an XL Bully dog if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.
• Owners who wish to keep their dogs will have until the end of January to register them and will be forced to comply with strict requirements. As well as being muzzled and kept on a lead in public, these dogs must also be microchipped and neutered.
• Those owners who don’t comply will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine if they are found to be in possession of an XL Bully type, and their dog could be seized.