Prime Minister announces American XL bully ban
The Prime Minister called the breed 'a danger to our communities'.
The Prime Minister has today (15 September) said that he will ban American XL bully dogs, calling them a ‘danger to our communities’.
The ban comes after a man who was attacked by two dogs in Staffordshire died of his injuries.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said today that the breed will first need to be defined as a breed in law, before they become banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year.
In a video statement on social media site X, Mr Sunak called American XL bullies ‘a danger to our communities’, saying ‘It’s clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.’
The announcement, which the Labour party has backed, means that American XL bullies will join the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Braziliero as a breed that is illegal to own in the UK.
The decision has already been criticised by the Scottish SPCA, part of the Dog Control Coalition which has campaigned against the ban.
In a video statement on the Scottish SPCA website, the charity’s chief superintendent Mike Flynn voiced his concern about the decision saying that he believes it will result in dogs being ‘put to sleep based on how they look’.
He also states his concerns about the impact kennelling seized dogs will have on animal welfare, and welfare charities’ abilities to deal with dogs involved in proceedings.
In a blog post, Mr Flynn writes: ‘We would like to see an end to irresponsible ownership and low-welfare breeding practices rather than adding another breed to an already flawed piece of legislation. We still believe the law should be based on deed and not breed.’
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Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
