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New laws banning XL Bully type dogs have been laid in Parliament today, as the Government adds the breed to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. 

Under the new rules, which come into force at the end of the year, it will be illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL Bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.

XL Bully

From this date, these dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. Owners of XL Bully dogs are recommended to start training their dog to wear a muzzle and to walk on a lead ahead of the legal restrictions coming into force.

See more: 22 pregnant ewes killed in an attack by two American bully XL dogs

Breeders have also been told to stop mating these types of dogs from now in preparation of it being a criminal offence to sell or rehome these dogs.

From 1 February 2024, it will become illegal to own an XL Bully dog if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs. Owners will have until the end of January to register the dogs.

As well as being muzzled and kept on a lead in public, these dogs must be microchipped and neutered. Dogs under one year when the ban comes in must be neutered by the end of the year, older dogs must be neutered by the end of June. 

Defra Secretary Therese Coffey said the Government was taking ‘quick and decisive action'.

Take the Lead

"We will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, as we take forward these important measures," she said.

Owners may choose to have their dog put to sleep by a vet, with compensation provided to help with these costs.

See more: Public should face tougher sanctions for damaging livelihoods

As part of the process, the definition of the ‘XL Bully' breed type has also been published today, providing clear assessment criteria for owners and enforcement authorities.

Owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control are already breaking the law, and the enforcement authorities have a full range of powers to apply penalties to them. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or their dangerous dogs can be euthanised. 

FREE signs warning dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead near livestock are available through ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian's Take the Lead campaign, in association with the National Sheep Association.

To request yours, send a stamped selfaddressed A4 envelope to: FG Take the Lead, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ. We will be able to send up to 25 signs.