Criminal gangs are fuelling dog attacks in the UK, experts fear, as 2022 becomes the deadliest year on record.
Dodgy dog breeders have erupted all over the country since the pandemic causing the “perfect storm for dog bites”.
A Mirror investigation found new dog dealers are being encouraged to make “monsters” out of powerful dogs to earn £250,000.
The numbers of dog bite deaths have doubled in the last 15 years and this year already nine people have been killed, making it the deadliest year since the first comprehensive records began in 1980.
Among those killed this year have been four children and another four of those deaths involved XL American bullies.
It has been estimated there are now 12 million dogs in the UK - two million more than before lockdown.
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Massive XL American bullies are being promoted on YouTube and Instagram where there are guides to get rich and flogged on Preloved and Pets4Homes.
The RSPCA are calling for action with “grave concerns” about a “tsunami” of welfare issues.
They warn of a “triple-whammy” - the eruption of criminal breeders, the cost of living crisis leaving dogs homeless and behavioural problems because of the pandemic.
Ian Briggs, acting head of the RSPCA’s special operations unit, said he fears “what is coming over the horizon” and is worried about the welfare of the dogs and people.
He said: “There are criminal gangs involved - certainly around the Bully XL market - that have obviously seen a way of coining in a huge amount of cash.
“They are operating outside the licensing rules. If you are looking at between £2,000 to £5,000 for a puppy and you get four puppies out of a dog, it’s a lot of money. They are making hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“It’s not just the XL Bullies though, there are the high value Frenchies too. It’s all about turning over vast profits.
“But with the Bully XL if they bite you it is likely you will be seriously injured. There’s a lot of big breeds in vogue at the moment like these Caucasian Shepherds, big, powerful dogs that are attractive to certain people.
“What it’s done is attract certain people to the breeding market that weren’t there before because they can see so much money to be made.
“You can just see it coming. It’s almost coming in slow motion, a tsunami of welfare issues.”
Calls are being made for more funding so local authorities can enforce the licensing laws which can see bad breeders given up to six months in jail.
Breeders have already started dumping puppies, he said, unable to sell them with 20 Cockapoos dumped in Essex recently which 18 months ago would have been worth 40,000.
While desperate dealers are pushing sick dogs into the market desperate not to lose money, taking diseases like parvovirus and distemper around the country.
The charity has seen animals kept in “medieval” conditions by money-grabbing breeders making hundreds and thousands of pounds.
Many XL bully dogs have been imported from the US for up to 40K but now the market has also “exploded” closer to home, driving the prices down and sales up.
XL American Bully puppies, many bred outside licensing laws, are fetching up to £5,000 a go with owners charging the same for stud, a Mirror investigation found.
The dog breeding craze has also prompted the arrival of pet ‘fertility clinics’ - offering training on how to become a DIY breeder at home.
Dog semen is being posted from home and abroad with artificial insemination (AI) kits sent by post.
Illegal ear cropping is also being offered by crooks online to give your XL Bully the American ‘look’.
A gang from Stoke-on-Trent were jailed recently after puppies were found in a semi-comatose state after cropping their ears.
“So-called cottage breeders that have popped up during the pandemic, have been churning out puppy after puppy after puppy and charging thousands with it with no real knowledge,” Mr Briggs said.
“They are living in medieval conditions. Everything is about money, so they will put the minimum they can into keeping that dog. You’ve got breeding bitches kept in darkness or living in their own faeces.
“It’s exactly like a battery hen, no quality of life, it’s awful.
“It’s basically people exploiting animals and the buyer for financial gain, These people have no regard for the animals in their care.
“It builds itself up to a real crescendo of a welfare problem which we’re now starting to see.
“You’ve got a lot of dogs forced into the market, you’ve got the cost of living crisis so people can’t afford to keep dogs now.
“I think it’s only the start of it, it’s only going to get worse. Certainly as the cost of living hits, pets are going to be seen as a luxury.
“Animal charities across the board are seeing more and more dogs passed onto them.
“It’s a concern we are actively looking at the moment and we are trying to pre-plan. It’s going to be tough times for everybody.”
Bill Lambert, Health, Welfare and Breeder Service Executive at the Kennel Club, agreed the pandemic had pushed prices up, encouraging more people to breed dogs.
“You have an inexperienced person going to buy a puppy from an inexperienced breeder and there’s going to be inherent problems with that because you have a lack of knowledge on both sides,” he said.
“It’s the perfect storm for a dog bite, that’s the situation we’re at.
“The price of puppies going up has brought far more people into the licensing regime but the enforcement of the licence is very problematic because the local authorities are completely under-resourced to do so... “
On YouTube and social media, breeders swap tips about the XL American Bully business and how to ‘market’ your ‘pack’.
In one video viewers are told the UK is “smashing” the XL bully market and you can get puppies younger at eight weeks.
Would-be dog breeders are told “how to make £250,000 off of American bully studs.”
A dealer says: “We’ve been in the Bully game for over a year now and have got a bit of knowledge that we can guide you and help you on your way to raise monsters and make ker-ching.”
His sidekick, added: “Step One is picking your right stud, knowing what you are buying....do your research.” The dog should be kept to ully breed standard which is “wide, muscular, block-headed.
They do say make sure you see their parents in person but then also say that marketing is “super important” - even more than the breed standard.
They added: “YouTube is the perfect platform because you can list the price which details you can’t list on Insta and other social media sites.
“If you are going to spend 10 grand on the dog ...who cares if you spend 10,000 when noone knows who your dog is.” They added: “We are living in the world it’s all about status.”
XL Bully’s fall into a group of breeds known as Brachycephalic, which are also known to have respiratory issues.
But despite that ‘meets’ and ‘join-ups’ were regularly held during this year’s hot summer, months.
Breeders arrived in local parks to show off their panting XL bully litters, their owners’ wearing t-shirts with their ‘kennels’ name alongside their Instagram details.
Another film shows a breeder boasting about small XL Bully pups, showing them running up concrete steps, which dog experts advise against because their joints could be damaged.
Vets are also worried about the welfare of these dogs when they give birth and how they cope in the heat.
Dr Justine Shotton, President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) explained the pup’s large heads usually force vet surgeons to perform a caesarean instead of a natural birth.
She said: “They do have a number of welfare issues that we are really concerned about, primarily around respiration, not being able to breathe, and struggling in the heat or during exercise.
“But its also around giving birth the puppy size and the head relative to the mum to the point that many need a caesarean.”
Vets have reported seeing an increase in puppies from “questionable sources” as Dr Shotton added: “unfortunately there are unscrupulous breeders who are just putting looks or money over welfare.”
The BVA is now also lobbying the government to introduce mandatory vet involvement or proper licensing to unregulated dog fertility clinics.
Dr Shotton added: “We have also seen a massive increase in fertility clinics which are currently completely unregulated. Fertility clinics for dogs didn’t really exist before the pandemic.”
The ‘clinics’ offer artificial insemination and operate in a grey area of the law, Mr Briggs from the RSPCA says.
Illegal ear cropping, to ‘get the US look’ for XL Bully dog, is also offered on social media which leaves some dogs scared of the rain because they have no protection.
RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen said: “Ear cropping has absolutely no positive effect on the dog themself and is done purely for cosmetic reasons because someone wants a specific ‘tough’ look for their dog. Sadly, it’s a trend that, despite being illegal, seems to be growing in popularity.”
