Some 22,420 American XL Bully dogs will not be euthanised as part of the Government’s crackdown on the breed.
A total of 26,586 owners applied for their dogs to be exempt from being destroyed under new restrictions which came into force on January 31.
Of these, 4,166 were denied, for reasons which included invalid insurance dates, owners being under the age of 16 and duplicate applications.
The 22,420 successes were revealed by a Department for the Environment response to a freedom of information request, published on Thursday.
These owners will be allowed to keep their dogs under certain conditions, such as paying a £92.40 charge and having third-party public liability insurance.
The pets have to be muzzled and kept on a lead in public with males neutered and females spayed.
Owners cannot be under the age of 16 and they must allow police officers to check their dog’s microchip if asked.
The demand for a Certificate of Exemption was seemingly higher than the Government appeared to have expected.
It had ‘originally estimated that England and Wales had a population of 10,000 XL bully dog types’, according to the FOI release.
But last year, a House of Commons committee heard there are up to 50,000 of the dogs.
It comes after London grandmother Esther Martin was savaged to death by two dogs as she attempted to intervene between fighting puppies, according to her daughter Sonia Martin.
The 68-year-old from Woodford Green, was attacked at a property in Hillman Avenue in Jaywick on Saturday afternoon.
The breed of the dogs has not been confirmed by police but there has been speculation they were XL Bullies.
Ms Martin said there were a total of six puppies and two adults on the property.
She told the BBC that her mother had previously expressed concerns about the “dangerous and aggressive dogs”.
The grieving daughter said she had been informed that the puppies had started fighting and her mother had been told by the dogs’ owner to “put a broom in among them, to distract them”.
She said: “That’s when she was attacked.”
Neighbours have described hearing “horrific” screaming from the property lasting 10 minutes.
Chief Superintendent Glen Pavelin, of Essex Police, told reporters outside Clacton police station there was a “familial relationship” between the victim and a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of dangerous dog offences.
He said: “I know there is speculation about the breed of the dogs involved and we are working with experts to establish this.
“I would ask you not to speculate, we will establish the facts and we will keep the community of Jaywick updated.”
He added he had not been informed of any information about previous complaints made about the dogs involved in the incident.
