AFTER much debate and a string of recent attacks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed American XL Bully Dogs will be banned in the UK.
The PM announced the breed will be outlawed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
What is an American XL Bully?
American XL Bullys are said to have originated in the US in the late 1980s and are mixed-breed, comprising the American pit bull terrier and the American Staffordshire terrier.
Pit bull terriers were banned in the UK in 1991 after a series of attacks.
Three other dog breeds are also banned in the UK: Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro.
Underground breeders have been able to mix legal pit bulls with other dogs.
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A Sun on Sunday probe in early 2023 found canines being offered for as much as £2,500 online.
Campaign group Bully Watch UK has documented over 350 attacks by this breed in 2023 alone.
When will the American XL Bully dogs be banned?
On September 15, 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that American XL Bully dogs will be BANNED by the end of 2023.
The PM said the breed will be outlawed under the Dangerous Dogs Act following a spate of terrifying attacks.
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He said he shared the nation's "horror" in several videos showing vicious maulings, which included attacks on children.
One man died on September 14, 2023, in Walsall, Staffordshire, after being set upon outside a primary school.
Mr Sunak said: "It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on."
What will happen once the American XL Bully breed is banned in the UK?
Mr Sunak has ordered officials to work on defining the dangerous breed so it can be banned under the existing Dangerous Dogs Act.
This means it will be illegal to own an American XL Bully in the UK, and legal action will be taken against anyone who has one.
The Sun understands existing XL bullies will be given amnesty, similarly to the 1991 pitbull ban.
But it is likely they will have to wear a muzzle and kept on the lead at all time in public.
Vowing to bring in new laws by the end of 2023, Mr Sunak promised to work "fast" to protect the public.
The PM said in a video posted on X/Twitter: "These dogs are dangerous and I want to reassure the public we will take all the necessary steps to keep them safe."
On September 16 this year,
However, while the breed may be banned, the UK's chief veterinary officer has said there will not be a cull of the dogs.
Christine Middlemiss said there will be an "amnesty", where owners will have to register their dogs and take actions including a muzzle in public.
Prof Middlemiss told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There will be an amnesty. So people that already have these dogs – and some of them will be well socialised, well managed, well trained – you will need to register and take certain actions.
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"Your dog will need to be neutered. It will need to be muzzled when out in public and on a lead and insured.
"But if you comply with these actions, and that means we'll know where these dogs are, which will be a massive benefit, then yes, absolutely you will be able to keep your dog."
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