XL bully victim calls ban ‘useless’ as police destroy 100 dogs a month

Police person destroyed much than 3 unsafe dogs a time connected mean since XL bullies were banned astir a twelvemonth ago, the BBC has learned.

Forces successful England and Wales accidental the costs of kennelling thousands of seized dogs, often for months astatine a time, person risen sixfold to £25m a twelvemonth and galore facilities were astatine capacity.

But successful galore areas canine attacks amusement nary motion of falling. Of the 25 constabulary forces that responded to BBC Freedom of Information Act requests, 22 said they were connected people to spot much reported incidents this year.

Lisa Willis, who was mauled by an XL bully months aft the ban, said the onslaught had felt similar a "horror movie" and the instrumentality was "useless".

She said owners of dogs similar the 1 that savaged her limb should beryllium banned from buying further animals. However, successful her case, the proprietor had replaced his canine "within weeks".

New laws restricting the breeding and merchantability of XL bullies came into unit connected 31 December past twelvemonth aft a bid of high-profile attacks, immoderate of them fatal. In February, it became amerciable to ain a canine of this type, unless it was registered earlier the deadline.

There are present 5 banned types of canine successful Britain - XL bully, pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Doga Argentino and Fila Braziliero. Dogs registered earlier the prohibition indispensable beryllium neutered, muzzled successful nationalist and kept successful unafraid conditions.

When the instrumentality was introduced, the UK authorities suggested determination were astir 10,000 XL bully dogs successful England and Wales, but that was a immense underestimate - determination are present much than 57,000 of the dogs registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Freedom of Information Act responses from 19 constabulary forces successful England and Wales amusement that successful the archetypal 8 months of 2024:

• 1,991 suspected banned dogs had been seized, up from 283 successful the full of 2023
• 818 dogs had been destroyed, much than treble than successful 2023

With immoderate seized dogs staying successful constabulary kennels for months portion their breed oregon benignant is confirmed, much than fractional of the forces that provided responses astir their kennels said they were afloat oregon adjacent capacity.

Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the National Police Chief Council's (NPCC) pb for unsafe dogs, said the alteration successful the instrumentality had enactment important unit connected constabulary forces and added an "incredible" magnitude of other costs for them to absorb.

The costs of kennels and veterinary bills had risen from £4m to £25m, but that did not relationship for the further costs of grooming staff, buying further vehicles and equipment, renting short-term kennels and the wider operational costs of policing much unsafe dogs than ever, helium said.

He said the NPCC was putting guardant "a beardown request" for much authorities wealth to conscionable the requirements of the XL bully ban.

The chiefs of the 43 constabulary forces successful England and Wales besides privation a alteration successful the instrumentality to springiness officers alternate ways of dealing with radical recovered successful possession of unsafe dogs.

Part of what makes policing the prohibition hard is that moving retired whether a canine is an XL bully tin necessitate specializer grooming and sometimes extracurricular expertise, which means keeping the dogs kennelled for agelong periods.

The authorities published guidance to assistance place XL bullies, which are defined arsenic a "type" of canine due to the fact that they are not a Kennel Club-recognised breed. They are described arsenic ample dogs "with a muscular assemblage and blocky head, suggesting large spot and powerfulness for [their] size".

Expert assessors told america that arsenic galore arsenic a 3rd of the dogs registered with Defra whitethorn not beryllium XL bullies, but determination is not yet immoderate guidance astir however to region them from the register.

The constabulary chiefs privation to spot changes that would let them to caution liable owners who whitethorn unwittingly person bought an XL bully, portion inactive having beardown powers to clamp down connected amerciable breeders and persistent offenders.

Defra said the XL bully prohibition was "an important measurement to support nationalist safety" and it would proceed to enactment with police, section authorities and carnal payment groups to forestall canine attacks "using the afloat unit of the instrumentality wherever needed".

In Lisa's case, she had been connected a locomotion with her terrier, Duke, successful June erstwhile a French bulldog attacked him. Moments aboriginal an XL bully-type canine came retired of a garden, crossed the roadworthy and attacked Lisa.

"I conscionable thought it was going to termination me," she said. "It was truthful powerful, it was virtually hanging disconnected my limb and nary substance what, I conscionable couldn't get it off."

People adjacent heard her screaming and helped get the canine disconnected her, but she said her limb was "shredded". She feared she would bleed to decease and asked her rescuers to telephone her hubby "so I could accidental goodbye".

Lisa, who contacted america astir her communicative done Your Voice, Your BBC News, was taken to hospital. The carnal that attacked her was seized by constabulary and destroyed the aforesaid time - mean process erstwhile a canine is progressive successful a superior incident.

She is being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and she says she feels "powerless" to halt thing similar this happening again.

"I request to marque definite these radical person consequences for their actions due to the fact that if it continues, idiosyncratic other is going to get killed, idiosyncratic other is going to beryllium attacked," she said.