Inside ‘doggy jails’ the place 100 canines are ‘destroyed’ every month after XL bully ban
EXCLUSIVE: New statistics show that capturing, homing and putting down so-called ‘dangerous dogs’ is creating a huge tax burden each year, with 100 dogs a month being ‘destroyed’ on police orders
New data suggests 100 dogs a month are being ‘destroyed’ following the XL bully ban which took place at the end of 2023.
There has been a crackdown on many “dangerous dogs,” with a huge cost to the taxpayers. According to the BBC figures, housing and dealing with these animals racks up a hefty £25million per year. These ‘doggy jails’ are run by police forces in England and Wales and are often home to reported animals following attacks. The kennels can sometimes make mistakes however, with one man, Connor Halliwell, having his XL bully put down while the family were under the process of gaining an exemption passes.
These passes allow the XL bullies to live, as long as they are neutered, microchipped, and covered by third-party liability insurance. Lancashire Police have apologised and declared the incident an “administration error,” but one expert believes there needs to be more done in terms of processing XL bullies.
Top criminal defence lawyer and animal expert, Nick Freeman, told the Daily Star that the change in law has not solved the problem of dog attacks. He said: “It is estimated that there are as many as 100 thousand bully XLs in the UK. Approximately 55k have been registered and a significant number, running into tens of thousands have not.
“As an animal lover , these statistics are a tragedy as many of the dogs are innocent of everything except their breed and lack of certification. There has been a significant rise in human fatalities and serious injuries both to humans and dogs. Many of the attacks have occurred at home , which renders the legislation largely redundant.
“I have always been of the view that problem dogs are a consequence of the other end of the lead. However, these dogs are genetically aggressive and incredibly strong and can suddenly turn for no reason, causing absolute carnage.”
Nick highlighted the main culprit in these attacks is often the owner. He added: “The solution lies with the public policing the streets by being vigilant and taking photographs of any bully XL which they are suspicious is either aggressive and/or unregistered.
“They should also take a discreet photo of the owner and then provide it to the authorities. Sadly this is a situation that will remain with us until the Dangerous Dogs Act is changed and amongst other things, dog wardens are reintroduced to police our dog communities.”
When contacted, the police highlighted that each force has a different way to home these ‘dangerous dogs,’ and plenty are in private kennels, which explain the huge taxpayer cost. “In policing our priority is always the safety of our communities and we are taking positive action to deal with dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners who risk that safety,” commented the police.
“The new legislation has placed huge additional demand on our resources. Before the XL Bully ban was introduced there were 120 Dog Liaison Officers across England and Wales but over an additional 100 officers and staff have been redeployed from other areas of business to support the dangerous dog response.
“The cost of kennelling and veterinary bills alone currently stands in excess of £11 million and is expected to total over £25 million by the end of the financial year. We have not yet received any additional funding to support us in dealing with this additional demand which we predict will continue to rise since the government brought in the ban on XL bullies.”
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