XL Bully dogs: Police chief hopeful XL Bully ban will cut number of dog attacks

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings has welcomed changes to the Dangerous Dog Act 1991, which will make it illegal to sell, breed or abandon an XL Bully or walk them without a muzzle and lead.

It comes as South Yorkshire Police has responded to a spate of attacks in recent months and the most recent one left a 12-year-old boy in Sheffield with a broken arm on Tuesday, December 12.

The force has seized more than 310 dogs so far this year, as they were deemed to be dangerously out of control, and it claims a quarter of them were XL Bullys dogs.

Most are kept in kennels until the court decides whether they should be put down, but armed officers have resorted to shooting several aggressive dogs which could not be restrained.

Dr Billings said it is now costing the force more than £500,000 a year to keep dangerous dogs in kennels. That is up from £97,000 in 2018/19.

He said a “range of dogs” act aggressively but XL Bullys are particularly dangerous because they are extremely powerful.

“They were bred for fighting and bringing down large animals,” he said. There is an aggressive streak.

“I've seen horrific photographs of what these dogs can do to young children ripping scalps away, tearing the flesh on arms and faces .”

He said the dogs have turned on their owners and family members, gone for postmen and attacked other dogs when they are being walked.

The latest figures show 593 people in South Yorkshire were injured by dogs of all breeds in the first eight months of this year. There were 73 attacks in August alone, including 21 on children.

Owners who want to keep their XL Bullys must take out third party public liability insurance cover for their dog, get it neutered and apply for a Certificate of Exemption (incurs a £92.40 fee) by January 31.

Some have been scrambling to rehome their XL Bullys before they are added to the list of banned breeds in the new year, claiming they will not be able to keep them in rented properties or get pet insurance.

Sophie Mullen said she has recieved “hundreds of messages” from desperate owners since she volunteered to rehome these dogs.

“When they've been in a loving home and had a responsible owner, they are the most loving dog you will ever come across,” she said.

“They just want to please and they are very food motivated, which makes them really easy to train.

“Any dog can be dangerous if it's with an irresponsible owner.”

The RSPCA has criticised the ban, claiming it will not protect the public, and said the “broad” definition of an XL Bully dog has caused confusion among owners and it could result in healthy and mild-mannered dogs being put down.

The government guidance also lists more than 30 characteristics and suggests that if a dog matches a “substantial number” of these, it can be defined as an XL bully.