XL bullying ban takes effect TODAY after 11 deadly attacks in just 3 years as thousands miss deadline – what you need to know
DANGEROUS XL Bully dogs are banned from today with police warning the dogs could be destroyed and their owners thrown behind bars.
Yesterday was the last day of the animals could be registeredwith the owners and their dogs now receiving strict penalties without a certificate.
11
11
11
11
11
The government said it believes there have been 11 deaths linked to XL bullies in the past three years, but there have been more horror attacks.
The mother of one of those victims, a schoolboy Jack Lisasat down with the Prime Minister for an interview, shared exclusively by The Sun.
Emma Whitfield opened up about the tragic day her son died at his friend's house.
The mother, who has long campaigned for a ban on killer hounds, said: “I didn't know what an XL Bully was until this happened, I had no idea they existed until this happened.
“I didn't really think the outcome would be like when I was told he had been attacked by a dog – I didn't know anything like that happened.
“You don't think something like this will happen to you.”
The Sun has named and depicted ten of these tragic victims 17 month old baby.
Selling, rehoming and breeding the ferocious dogs became illegal on December 31 amid massive repression by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
As of today, it is illegal to own an unregistered vehicle XL bully dog and owners had until yesterday to pick it up insurancechip their dog and pay a £92.40 registration fee per animal.
But even if the beast is registered, owners must prove the dog was neutered before June 30 (or the end of 2024 if it's a puppy) to comply with the rules.
Owners also had until yesterday to destroy their dog and queue up to claim £200 in damages.
The RSPCA said this week that it is believed that 30,000 of the beasts in Britain are still uncertified.
It is thought that between 50,000 and 100,000 of the dogs live across the country.
The latest figures show that more than 35,000 XL Bully dogs have been registered.
Fatal XL Bullying Attacks
Ian “Scouse” Langley, 54, was protecting his puppy when the animal jumped at him outside into a house Sunderland in October 2023.
Ian Price, 52, was viciously destroyed in September 2023 by the beasts as he tried to protect his elderly mother of them after they escaped.
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was murdered in May 2023 went into the doghouse when it went towards him, leaving bite marks on his arm, leg and head.
Natasha JohnstonThe 28-year-old was mauled to death in January 2023 while walking a pack of dogs, believed to have been killed by her own pet. an American Bully XL.
Shirley Patrick, 83, passed away 17 days after being torn apart in a “hellish”, violent dog attack December 2022.
Ian Symes, 34, who was known to friends as “Wiggy”, died on a recreation ground in Fareham, Hampshireafter the savage attack in August 2022.
Joanne Robinson, 43, was fatally mauled by pet Rocco at her home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in July 2022.
Keven Jones, 62, went inside cardiac arrest after being bitten by Cookie-Doe at Chanel Fong's home in Wrexham, North Wales in May 2022.
Bella-Rae Birch, one, was executed in March 2022 at her home with the American Bully XL.
Jack LisaThe 10-year-old was killed in November 2021 by a colossal XL Bully dog named Beast while played at a friend's house in Caerphilly.
All XL bullies in public must wear a muzzle and be on a leash.
Although the ban only affects England and Wales, it was unveiled last month Scotland would also follow suit.
In the meantime, some owners and breeders had already flouted the rules.
When the first phase of the ban started on December 31, dog sales sites were still filled with dozens of offers for XL Bully dogs.
Elsewhere, like TikTokowners tried to illegally sell puppies by sharing videos of them with the captions “for sale” and “cheap.”
In the days leading up to the ban, breeders had worked to get rid of the mutts before the deadline, distributing online advertisements using words like “now reduced” and “price drop”.
Speaking of today's ban, National Police Mark Hobrough, leader of the Chiefs' Council's dangerous dogs, warned that consequences would be severe for those who break the rules.
Dangerous dog law explained
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker vowed to “rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial because it focuses on a dog's breed or appearance rather than an individual dog's behavior, and fails to curb the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCAMore than a third of people killed by dogs since the law was introduced were attacked by legal breeds.
People with dangerously out-of-control dogs can face up to fourteen years in prison pets could be put down.
Assistant Chief Constable Hobrough said: “I would urge everyone to stick to the rules law and legislation. If people have not yet put their dog in the database, they are committing an absolute violation.
“We are like police forces that will enforce the law.
“We did not make the law, but we do enforce the law and we will have to execute arrest warrants, seize dogs and take action against such dog owners.
“I would strongly encourage people to be compliant if that were the situation with their own dogs because one of the tests that is done on a dog or an owner (in court) is that the dog is not aggressive, but also that the owner is fit and responsible and also not aggressive.
“So if any of these things weren't met, there wouldn't be an option for one court then just to destroy the dog.”
11
11
11
11
11
11
Are XL bullies illegal in Britain?
Yes, the American Bully XL is banned in Great Britain.
It came next Interior Minister Suella Braverman revealed last year that she wanted to ban the breed.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a video on X, formally known as Twitter: “These dogs are dangerous and I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep them safe.”
Changes to the law will be phased in over a number of months and will make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, donate, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to roam in England and Wales.
Under the laws that have been put in place parliament on October 31, it will also be illegal to own an XL Bully from today unless it is on a list of exempt dogs.
The new guidelines do not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland.
As of 2021, the breed is responsible for more than 70 percent of all animals dog-related deaths in the United Kingdom.
Braverman ordered urgent advice on the next variety another attack on a child that happened on September 9, 2023.
Write on social media After the incident, Braverman said: “This is terrible. This is a clear and deadly danger to our communities, especially children. We can't continue like this.
“I have given urgent advice on banning it.”