What will happen to cross breeds as American XL Bully dog ban is introduced?
IT is now a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.
A warning was issued to all XL Bully owners as new laws came into force on January 31, 2024.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that American XL Bully dogs would be banned in the UK by the end of the year after a spate of brutal attacks.
The PM announced that the "aggressive" breed would be outlawed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The confirmation of the ban came after Home Secretary Suella Braverman revealed she wanted to outlaw the breed.
Mr Sunak came forward to explain that he shared the nation's "horror" after several videos circulated showing violent attacks.
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The PM said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "These dogs are dangerous and I want to reassure the public we will take all the necessary steps to keep them safe."
Suella Braverman commissioned urgent advice on the breed following another attack on a child that happened on September 9, 2023.
Writing on social media following the incident, Braverman said: “This is appalling. This is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We can’t go on like this.
"I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.”
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Following the planned ban, after the law officially changed, it is now an offence to own, breed, gift or sell an American XL Bully.
Ministers are aiming to safely manage the existing population of the dog breed and will introduce a transition period.
It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on"
Rishi Sunak
The legislation will begin on February 1, with owners being urged to apply for a certificate for current pets before the deadline on January 31, 2024.
American XL Bully owners who do not come forward during this period will be committing a criminal offence if they are found to be keeping such animals.
The Sun understands existing XL bullies will be given amnesty, similarly to the 1991 pitbull ban.
As the breed is added to the banned list - which currently includes Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brasileiros - if someone is caught in possession of one, the dog can be taken away even if it hasn't done anything dangerous.
According to the government website, police do not need a warrant to take the dog away, unless it is in a private place.
If the dog is taken by police, it will be judged by a council dog expert to determine if "it is or could be a danger to the public" - it will then either be released back to the owner or kept in kennels.
An owner must then prove their dog isn't a banned breed for it to be returned to them.
Commenting on the new ban, Lord Baker, the former home secretary who brought in the Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991, told LBC: "I strongly support what the Prime Minister has said.
"It should be done almost immediately because this is a very dangerous breed and it has actually killed children and attacked other people, and I do not accept the views of the Kennel Club and the RSPCA that breeds should not be banned.
"This dog is, in fact, bred in order to fight and to be aggressive. It has already done enough damage and the Prime Minister is absolutely right to add it."
It comes after one man lost his life on September 14, 2023, in Stonall, Staffordshire, after two suspected American XL Bully mauled him near a primary school.
He suffered catastrophic injuries when two hounds leaped out of a neighbour's window before jumping through a hedge.
In heroic scenes, members of the public tackled one of the dogs after the attack - with the other dog eventually locked away in the owner's flat.
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A witness told The Sun: "I saw it. It was so awful I can barely talk about it - but he was mauled to death and it was just horrendous.
Four children were also attacked by their family dogs including an XL Bully across two days last week.
The horror, which saw a two-year-old savaged, happened across September 8 and 9 in south Yorkshire.
It's understood the tot was the youngest victim when the household pet launched into a terrifying frenzy.
Cops say a girl, 15, was taken to hospital after her XL Bully launched at her.
South Yorkshire Police said: "Nationally, and within South Yorkshire, we are seeing an increase in dangerous dog incidents and the severity of the risk they pose to members of the public."
American bullys have been responsible for 73 per cent of dog-related deaths in the UK since 2022 but make up a tiny percentage of the total canine population.
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Brits are 270 times more likely to be killed by American Bullys than by any other breed, Bully Watch UK say.
The campaign group has also documented over 350 attacks by this breed in 2023 alone.