XL Bully dogs will become banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act from December 31, the government announced on Tuesday.
The new laws, coming after a concerning rise in fatal attacks, will make it illegal to "breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to stray" in England and Wales from December 31.
From February 1, 2024 , it will then become illegal to own an XL Bully if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.
Owners without a certificate of exemption from that date would face a criminal record and an unlimited fine, and their dog could be seized.
From December 31, the dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
The government on Tuesday urged owners to start training their dog to wear a muzzle and to walk on a lead ahead of the legal restrictions coming into force.
Breeders have also been told to stop mating these types of dogs from now, in preparation of it being a criminal offence to sell or rehome them.
"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," a government statement said on Tuesday.
"As well as being muzzled and kept on a lead in public, these dogs must also be microchipped and neutered."
We’ve added XL Bully type dogs to the list of breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 🚫
— Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) October 31, 2023
From 31 December 2023, breeding, selling, advertising, rehoming, abandoning and allowing them to stray will be illegal.
They will also need to be on a lead and muzzled in public.
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Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said on Tuesday: "We are taking quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks and today I have added the XL Bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
"It will soon become a criminal offence to breed, sell, advertise, rehome or abandon an XL Bully type dog, and they must also be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. In due course it will also be illegal to own one of these dogs without an exemption.
"We will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, as we take forward these important measures."
The government said owners may choose to have their dog put to sleep by a vet, with compensation provided to help with these costs.
XL bullies have been involved in a number of serious attacks over the years.
Earlier this month, a woman was injured after she was attacked by her own American XL bully in Norfolk.
Last month, Ian Price, a 52-year-old man 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.
In another incident early this month, a baby boy was injured outside the Hilton Double Tree hotel in Greenwich, after being savaged by a large dog thought to be an XL bully.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously described the dogs as a “danger to our communities”.
News the government was looking to ban them was met with outrage from some protesters, who staged a march through central London in September, without their dogs.
Protesters marched through the capital shouting “save our bullies” and “sit for your dog”, while one was seen wearing a t-shirt with a photoshopped image of Rishi Sunak with a muzzle on.
The XL bully breed type was developed through the crossing of various bull breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Official government guidance describes it as a "large dog with a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for its size. [A] powerfully built individual."
The XL bully joins a list of other banned dogs, including the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, fila Brasileiro and dogo Argentino.
