When former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a ban on XL Bully dogs in late 2023 it led to protest marches in the streets.
Anti-Bully sentiment was at fever pitch after blanket media coverage of violent attacks, some involving children. The dogs are big, ferocious looking animals with thick muscles and wide jaws, capable of tearing humans apart. After multiple grisly deaths, and viral videos, there was widespread public outrage at a lack of government control.
But marchers chanting ‘Save Our Bullies’ claimed allegations XL Bullies were disproportionately involved in dog attacks were untrue, and blamed the media for focussing on one breed when other breeds with bad owners could do just as much damage.
Since December 31, 2023 there has been a ban on selling or breeding XL Bullies. Since February 2024 it has been a crime to own one without an exemption certificate.
When we reported live from the dog court at Willesden Magistrates’ in March 2024, we were surprised to find most of the cases did not involve an XL Bully. It appeared even the most unsuspecting dogs could do serious damage when spooked. We came away wondering if the ‘Save Our Bully’ marchers had a point: Were XL Bullies being vilified for looks alone?
According to Bully Watch UK, the data says otherwise. XL Bullies made up less than one per cent of the UK’s dog population in 2023, but were responsible for 44 per cent of attacks.
More than a year after we live blogged a day at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, we are back in North West London to find out how it is going. We plan to sit in the dog court all day, with a number of XL Bully owners due to appear for a range of offences.
Stay with us for all the details from court with our live updates below.
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