Police destroyed 848 XL Bully canine in 7 month with £11m invoice for taxpayers
XL bully dogs were banned in the UK last year with a number of other illegal breeds also being seized in the process as police use their tools to try tackle rise in dangerous dogs
Police seized and destroyed 848 XL Bully dogs in just seven months – at a cost to taxpayers of £11m.
They also confiscated 4,586 dogs bred for fighting under UK law last year (2024).
These illegal breeds include Japanese tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiros.
Police said the cost of the on-going operation – set to rocket to £25m by the end of April (2025) – had placed a `huge burden’ on force finances.
Resources were diverted from other investigations to tackle dangerous dogs.
Kennel spaces were reaching capacity and costs `increasing by the day’.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for dangerous dogs, said undoubtedly’ the XL Bully ban had driven down the number of dog attacks’.
“However the demand has been and continues to be simply huge,’’ he went on.
“We are facing a number of challenges in kennel capacity, resourcing and ever-mounting costs and as of today, we have not received any additional funding to account for this.
“Veterinary bills and the cost of kennelling across policing has risen from £4m in 2018 to currently standing at more than £11m and this is expected to rise to as much as £25m by the end of April 2025. That’s a predicted 500% increase.
“Before the XL Bully ban was introduced there were 120 Dog Liaison Officers across England and Wales. We then trained an additional 100 with a further 40 identified to be trained this coming year.
“This means that in some areas established dog handlers have been called away from other policing duties. We have had to purchase additional vehicles, equipment and find countless extra kennel spaces from the finite that are available within the industry.
“Policing will uphold the government’s decisions and we’ll act robustly to do so. But the bigger picture is a focus on responsible dog ownership.
“People need to be aware of the types of dogs that they’re bringing into their homes and make the right decisions to choose a breed which suits their lifestyle, environment and experience.’’
Police want the law tweaked to make allowances for folk who unwittingly end up owning a banned dog.
“At the top end unscrupulous criminal dealers and breeders need to feel the full weight of the law going to court,’’ the police chief said.
“But alternative methods of out of court disposals would support us in taking a proportionate response as required. We will always protect our communities by ensuring these dangerous dogs are dealt with. But we urgently need the Government to support us in coping with the huge demand the ban has placed on our ever-stretched resources.’’
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