The XL bully ban is “failing” says the RSPCA – as dog bites, attacks and human fatalities persist, despite new data obtained by the charity showing thousands of suspected banned dogs have been seized and hundreds euthanased.
Instead, the charity wants Ministers to commit to a full and in depth review of dog control, including the Dangerous Dogs Act, which this week (12 August) marks 34 years on the statute book.
The charity is urging decision makers to prioritise an approach that encourages responsible dog ownership in the nation’s communities – rather than banning dogs based purely on how they look.
RSPCA pet welfare experts say that, for 34 years, dangerous dog law in England and Wales has predominantly focussed on “how a dog looks rather than their behaviour”.
In September 2023, the UK Government announced an intention to ban the XL bully dog – and by the end of the year, it became illegal to breed, sell, advertise or give away an XL bully. By 1 February 2024, it became an offence to own an XL bully dog at all, without a valid exemption certificate.
The XL Bully ban has led to high numbers of suspected banned dogs being seized by Police Forces across England and Wales. From the 19 Police Forces who responded to an RSPCA request for information, 1,035 dogs were seized as suspected banned types during 2024; and a clear majority of those – 674, or more than 65% – were assessed and identified as XL bullies.
Across all 43 Forces, the numbers will be considerably higher.
The five Police forces reporting the highest number of seized dogs were Leicestershire (192 dogs, including 177 XL bullies), Nottinghamshire (145, including 132 XL Bullies), Thames Valley (134), Humberside (99) and Lincolnshire (52).
Under section one the Dangerous Dogs Act, dogs can be seized if they are a prohibited type – namely an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino or Fila Brasileiro.
Only Seven Police Forces reported euthanasia figures – but this found 511 banned types of dog had been put to sleep, including 316 in South Yorkshire*. Of those dogs put to sleep by Police Forces, a majority were assessed as XL bullies.
RSPCA is a member of the Dog Control Coalition, which is working towards more effective and sustainable dog control across the UK with rules that focus on dog behaviour and responsible ownership.
The ban has also had a significant impact on the charity sector. Figures from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes show its members had to put to sleep 693 dogs in 2024 as a result of the legislation – more than triple the 2023 figure (201), and more than eight times the numbers in 2022 (80).
Dr Samantha Gaines, Head of Companion Animals at the RSPCA, said: “This data paints a predictable and depressing picture – with the change in legislation meaning high numbers of XL bully dogs are being seized and put to sleep.
“Many of these dogs will have been much-loved family pets; their existence made illegal by a change of legislation focussed purely on how a dog looks rather than their behaviour.”
XL Bullies can only be kept legally as pets if they comply with strict regulations – including the owner having obtained an exemption certificate by the end of January 2024, and that they wear a muzzle in all public places.
Hippo – an XL bully – is one such dog. He was adopted by Hannah Graham from the RSPCA’s Southridge Animal Centre just three days before the ban on adopting them came into force at the end of 2023.
Hannah said: “The staff at Southridge were all absolutely amazing.
“The moment we saw his picture on the RSPCA website, it really was love at first sight. But we weren’t local, and needed to ensure he’d get on with our existing dog. We travelled down to the centre, stayed nearby overnight, and luckily it was a perfect match.”
As part of the adoption process, Hannah had to ensure she was able to comply with all of the rules around owning XL Bullies under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Hannah added: “It was quite a stressful process. The rules were quite vague, and there was pressure on us on how to interpret them. The ban also came in quite quickly, meaning muzzles weren’t routinely available straight away in sizes suitable for an XL bully and initially we found muzzles were just too small for him. We were worried he would be too hot going out, or have issues with panting. Thankfully, he has a much bigger muzzle now!”
Fortunately, Hippo settled very quickly into home life in Melton Mowbray – and was a cuddle monster from day one!
For owners navigating the challenges of responsible dog ownership and control laws, tools like automatic dog collars can help with training and ensuring safety.
