XL Bully owners have just hours left to apply for certificates of exemption if they wish to keep their pets.
From February 1, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a certificate.
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Applications must be submitted by midday on Wednesday, but it is recommended that the process is started no later than 11.30am.
It follows restrictions coming into force at the end of last year which dictated the dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
Breeding, selling or abandoning the dogs also became illegal as of December 31, 2023.
To qualify for an exemption certificate, owners must prove their XL Bully has been neutered by June 30.
If the pup is less than a year old by Wednesday, they must be neutered by the end of 2024, and evidence must be provided.
For thousands of worried owners the clock is ticking.
Becky Thwaites
As well as neutering their animals, XL Bully owners seeking an exemption must also pay an application fee, hold third party public liability insurance for their pets and ensure the dogs are microchipped.
The Government move to ban the breed followed a series of attacks involving XL Bullies, with one man dying after being savaged by one of the dogs last year.
But the RSPCA has previously said the measures were “not the answer” and warned of a “huge risk” that rescue centres and vets will be unable to cope with a likely surge in demand.
While the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) warned of increased abandonment rates and said the new rules may lead to a “postcode lottery” for vets being able to help owners meet the terms.
The dogs were added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31 last year, giving owners two months to prepare for the first stage of restrictions.
People with dangerously out of control dogs can be jailed for 14 years and banned from owning animals, and their pets can be put down.
Dr Samantha Gaines, dog welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: “It is so important that if owners expect that their dog is an XL Bully that they start the exemption process as soon as possible.
We’re urging XL Bully owners to start the exemption process now and not to leave it too late.
Dr Samantha Gaines
“Although the first part of the ban came in on 31 December 2023 which includes the requirement for XL Bullies to be muzzled and on a lead in a public place, existing owners have until noon on January 31 to apply for the exemption which allows them to legally keep their dog so that they are safe.
“We’re urging XL Bully owners to start the exemption process now and not to leave it too late.
“Whilst there are ongoing legal challenges, we don’t know when these will take place or what the outcome will be but as it stands.
“From 1 February, XL Bully owners will need to have a certificate of exemption to legally keep them.”
Becky Thwaites, head of public affairs at Blue Cross, said: “For thousands of worried owners the clock is ticking, as from 1 February 2024 it will be illegal to own an XL bully type unless it is on the Index of Exempted Dogs.”
What is the definition of an XL Bully?
The American Bully got recognition as a breed from US United Kennel Club in 2013.
It’s been called a “natural extension” of the better-known American Pit Bull Terrier.
The muscular dogs have been crossbred with other breeds including English Bulldogs, Olde English Bulldogs and American Bulldogs.
XL is referring the the dog’s size category, of which there are four: pocket, standard, classic and XL.
XL’s tend to be around 33-50cm in height and weigh in at 20-60kg.
Are XL bullies illegal in the UK?
Yes, the American Bully XL is banned in the UK.
It comes after Home Secretary Suella Braverman revealed she wanted to outlaw the breed.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a video posted on X, formally known as Twitter: “These dogs are dangerous and I want to reassure the public we will take all the necessary steps to keep them safe.”
Changes in the law will be phased in over several months starting from December 31, 2023.
The new rules will make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.
From the end of 2023, owners will be required to muzzle their dogs.
Under the laws which were laid in Parliament on October 31, it will also be illegal to own an XL Bully from February 1, 2024, unless it is on a list of exempted dogs.
The new guidance does not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland.
Since 2021, the breed has been responsible for more than 70 per cent of all dog-related deaths in the UK.
Braverman commissioned urgent advice on the breed following another attack on a child that happened on September 9, 2023.
Writing on social media following the incident, Braverman said: “This is appalling. This is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We can’t go on like this.
“I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.”
The following breeds have been banned in the UK:
Dangerous Dogs Act explained
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog’s breed or looks instead of an individual dog’s behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.
