A man has died this week in the UK after being attacked on by two dogs – suspected to be bully XLs – in Staffordshire.
As a result, the government in the United Kingdom is set to reveal details of a planned ban on American XL bully dogs.
“It’s clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. I’ve ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe.”, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, tweeted from his official account on Friday, September 15th.
However, several charities looking after dogs in the country disagree with the Prime Minister’s decision, arguing that outlawing the animals is unlikely to stop attacks.
“Banning the breed will sadly not stop these types of incidents recurring”, a spokesperson from the Dog Control Coalition – which is made up of RSPCA, Blue Cross, Battersea, Dogs Trust, Hope Rescue, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club and BVA – has said via an official statement.
“For 32 years, the Dangerous Dogs Act has focused on banning types of dog and yet has coincided with an increase in dog bites and the recent deaths show that this approach isn’t working. The UK Government must tackle the root issue by dealing with the unscrupulous breeders, who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control”.
It is unclear how the suggested ban, to be introduced by the end of the year, would be implemented and enforced, with concerns about the challenge of defining the dog breed given its cross-bred nature.
According to Professor Christine Middlemiss, Chief Veterinary Officer, during interview on BBC Radio 4, “There will be an amnesty. So people that already have these dogs – and some of them will be well socialised, well managed, well trained – you will need to register and take certain actions. Your dog will need to be neutered”. The ‘amnesty’ approach would mean that there will be no cull of dogs in their entirety in the UK.
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