Dog deaths at an all time excessive following XL Bully ban with 100 ‘destroyed’ a month
Destroying XL bullies is costing millions to police since a ban on the breed came into effect earlier this year – one person who was attacked by the dog called the law ‘useless’
The ban on XL bullies has led to 100 dangerous dogs a month being destroyed at a huge cost, data suggests.
The costs of keeping the dogs in kennels over a period that can last several months means costs can mount up, police forces in England and Wales said. A number of facilities are operating at capacity and the costs have run up to a hefty £25million, a report by the BBC has said.
Freedom of Information requests sent by the Beeb said 22 of 25 police forces that responded said they were on track to see more incidents reported than in recent years. It has led to criticism of the law from Lisa Willis, who was attacked and mauled by an XL bully following the ban implemented in 2023.
In the UK, the breed was banned on February 1. It became a criminal offence to own the XL bully breed in England and Wales without an exemption certificate.
Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have had the animal neutered, have it microchipped and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.
The Tory Government move to ban XL bullies followed a series of attacks. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths due to dog attacks in 2023, a sharp rise from preceding years where the number had been in single figures.
But the law is “useless”, Lisa said. Recalling the awful experience she went through, she called it a “horror movie” and that she thought the dog was going to kill her
“It was so powerful, it was literally hanging off my arm and no matter what, I just couldn’t get it off,” the 55-year-old said.
The FOIs said that 19 police forces in England and Wales revealed there were 1,991 suspected banned dogs seized, over 1,000 more than in 2024. A total of 818 had been destroyed, meanwhile, more than double last year.
National Police Chief Council’s (NPCC) Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the organisation’s senior person on dangerous dogs, said the costs for police had been “incredible”.
The £25million costs did not include training additional staff and purchasing more equipment. The law also means dogs are held until a court order for them to be put down is issued, or an owner gives up their claim of ownership.
Police top brass are also after a change in the law to give cops new ways of handling people who have dangerous dogs in their possession. They hope police will be able to caution owners who have accidentally bought XL bullies as it can be difficult to define the breed.
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