XL bullies have been in the media and subject to calls for a ban, as they have been responsible for half of all fatal dog attacks in the last three years. XL bullies are large and powerful dogs, and are more likely to cause serious or fatal injuries if they attack someone. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has called for XL bullies to be banned. The Scottish SPCA does not believe this is the answer.
Our thoughts are with the families of those who have been injured or killed by XL bully dogs. However, we believe that injuries and deaths are fully preventable with responsible ownership of these dogs. Action needs to be taken to better safeguard people from dangerous dogs, but banning a breed is not the solution.
We fully support legislation to protect the public. We believe any breed of dog can be potentially out of control and dangerous in the wrong hands. These dogs are very powerful and require owners who can manage them, and keep them under control.
It has been against the law for decades to allow an out of control dog in a private or public place.
Banning any breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 will add to already flawed legislation. The 1991 Act needs to be properly and fully enforced and appropriate sentences handed out. Section 3 of the Act states that the owner of any dog, regardless of breed, can be subject to a term in prison of:
- 14 years if a person dies as a result of being injured
- Five years where a person is injured
- Three years if an assistance dog is injured
This law is enforced by the police.
The Scottish SPCA believes that anyone found guilty of owning a dangerous dog that has been involved in an attack should be automatically banned for life from owning another dog.
The XL bully is a cross breed and there is no Kennel Club standard. Identifying an XL bully will be based on size, weight and certain characteristics which can mean dogs may be incorrectly determined as an XL bully.
As there is no Kennel Club standard this also means many people could be breeding these dogs with no regard for health or temperament. Dogs bred and raised in low-welfare environments are more prone to both health and behavioural issues than those from reputable breeders.
Banning the XL bully is unlikely to stop people who are breeding dogs for the wrong reasons from creating another aggressive and powerful cross breed of dog.
The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 was introduced to promote responsible dog ownership. It aims to ensure that dogs are kept under control, with the overall aim of reducing the number of future dog attacks.
The 2010 Act makes it an offence for any dog owner to allow their dog to be out of control in such a way as to cause alarm or make another person apprehensive. This law is enforced by the local authority.
The Scottish SPCA would like to see an end to irresponsible ownership and low-welfare breeding practices rather than adding another breed to an already flawed piece of legislation.
Read more about our No Bad Breed campaign.
