In the UK, with the change in the law which has outlawed XL Bully dogs, owners can either have them euthanised or apply for an exception to keep their dogs under strict terms and conditions including always being on a lead in public and wearing a muzzle. The Times reports that 30,000 XL Bully dog owners have successfully applied to Defra for exemptions. Exempted dogs must be microchipped and sterilised. The application fee is £92.40.
From Feb 1st it will be a criminal offence to own one of these dogs. in England and Wales unless the owner has a certificate of exemption.
Scotland has been forced to follow this law. At one time they had the intention to go their own way but XL Bully dog owners were shipping their dogs to Scotland to stay in a now discredited dog rescue shelter. This changed the scenario and Scotland will now ban XL Bully dogs as well.
The UK government is probably pleased with the outcome as it indicates a good level of compliance with the new rules on the presumption that XL bully owners do stick to the terms of their licenses.
Owners who choose the euthanasia route can claim £200 compensation/grant towards the cost of the procedure. According to Defra (Department of Food and Rural Affairs) there have been more than 100 such grants so far.
Dr Christine Middlemiss advised XL owners to not leave it to the last minute. They should register now she said.
Owners can use an online system which closes at 12 noon on January 31st.
Anyone with a certificate of exemption must be able to show it to a police officer when asked by an officer or council warden either there and then or within five days thereafter. If not, their dog will be seized and euthanized.
Although the XL Bully breed has a terrible reputation for being aggressive and harming other dogs and attacking people hence the reason for their ban under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the founder of the breed said that they were originally breed to be affable and nice.
He blames the owners who’ve turned the breed into a monster through bad handling and the use steroids. This is a people problem not a dog problem. The breed became synonymous with macho men who wanted a status symbol by their side.
But then all issues with dog and cat health and behavior can be traced back to humans! 😎. It is true. We create and control. It is a great shame as at the end of the day it is the dog who becomes the victim in the long-term not the people.
It is believed that there are between 50,000 and 100,000 XL Bully dogs in the UK.
RELATED: Some veterinarians who agree to euthanise XL bully dogs are being threatened
