UK campaigners seek to overturn ban on American XL bully dogs

From 31 December, in England and Wales it will be against the law to sell, abandon, breed from or give away an XL bully, or have one in public without a lead or muzzle. Photograph: Lee Hudson/Alamy

A campaign group has launched a legal attempt to overturn the government’s ban on American XL bully dogs after raising more than £160,000 to fund a potential judicial review.

The group of XL bully owners and dog experts, Don’t Ban Me – Licence Me, said it had instructed a lawyer and submitted a pre-action protocol to the government, and hopes to apply for an injunction to delay the ban before the end of the year.