As of midnight on 31 December 2023, not only must American XL bullies be muzzled and on the lead in public, but the breeding, selling, advertising, gifting, exchanging, or abandoning of these dogs is now illegal.
Ban on XL bullies
This precedes a complete ban on the breed without exemption certificates set to take effect in February. Despite opposition from charities and dog owners, the parliamentary approval of this legislation intends to address the increasing number of dog attacks.
However, Sammy Wilkinson from Tipton in the West Midlands passionately opposes the ban and has relocated 30 XL bullies to Scotland, where the new law does not apply. Just hours before the ban came into force, Sammy posted a photo of him and two dogs in a car on their way to the Scottish border. He wrote: “I’m absolutely exhausted, and my car is falling apart, but you’re not killing these Rishi Sunak; now it’s a race to the Scottish Border before midnight.”
Support for XL bully owners
A GoFundMe page supporting Sammy’s efforts has gathered nearly £9,000 so far. The funds will also go towards helping people get exemption certificates and muzzles for their XL bullies.
XL bullies are now classified under the Dangerous Dogs Act, alongside other breeds like American Pitbull terriers, Japanese tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiros. The new legislation comes after a rise in dog attacks, despite many people claiming XL bullies are not to blame and that the government should be focusing on owners, licensing and training instead.
Starting 1 February 2024, XL Bully owners must possess an exemption certificate, with applications due by 31 January.
