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BULLY BLITZ
XL bully crackdown extended to Scotland, Humza Yousaf confirms
It comes after campaigners ramped up pressure on the Scottish Government to act
A CRACKDOWN on XL bully dogs will be extended to Scotland, Humza Yousaf has confirmed.
The First Minister announced the move in response to a question from SNP MSP Jim Fairlie, who asked for an update on the Scottish Government’s thinking.
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Nats figures previously defended their failure to follow England and Wales with a ban on breeding, selling, and walking XL bullys without a muzzle or off a lead.
Mr Yousaf stressed that the situation in England that would be "replicated" in Scotland was “not a ban”, and said: “Owners can still keep an XL bully dog, they have to make sure it’s registered on the Exemption Index, they have to fulfil the other criteria of the legislation.
“And, of course, when this was first announced without any consultation with the Scottish Government, or indeed, as far as I can see, any consultation with animal welfare stakeholders.
"We are committed, the Scottish Government, to engage with animal welfare stakeholders and to continue to engage with the UK Government.
“What has become clear, l’m afraid, in the last few weeks, is that we have seen a flow in XL bully dogs coming to Scotland, a number of people coming to Scotland to bring XL bully dogs here to the country.
“As such, we've got further details to members of the Scottish Parliament through a ministerial statement if the parliamentary bureau agrees next week.
“We will, in essence, replicate the legislation that is in England and Wales, here in Scotland.
“Because, ultimately, although we do have a very good system of Dog Control Notice scheme, and we do take the approach of ‘deed not breed’, we have to respond to the situation as it currently stands and therefore we will do what we need to do to ensure public safety, but further detail will be given by the appropriate minister next week subject to parliamentary bureau’s agreement.”
Most read in The Scottish Sun
It follows fears breeders are moving their dogs north of the border to dodge the laws down south.
In November, we revealed how the UK Government warned the Scottish Government Scotland would become a “dumping ground” for the killer dogs if it didn’t follow suit.
These fears appear to have been justified, with a string of examples of the dogs being shifted north in December and January.
But The Scottish Sun revealed in November how SNP Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown had refused to sign up to the UK Government fast-track ban, and cast doubt on the evidence for outlawing the breed.
There have also been a number of horror incidents in Scotland involving XL bullies.
We told in October how eyewitnesses spoke of their horror at seeing an XL bully savage its teenage owner in a terrifying attack in Motherwell that left him needing surgery.
The same month, a court heard how an out-of-control XL bully mauled three kids in terrifying attacks in Forfar just weeks apart.
And in September, we told how XL bully owner Gaynor Kerr, 47, from Dundee, had her thumb bitten off in a horrific attack where her husband George, 63, was also badly mauled.
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