XL bully ownership to be banned from 1 February, Defra confirms 

XL bully owners are to be given until the end of January to formally register their pets before a ban on keeping them comes into force.

Defra has released more details of its plans to add the controversial type to the existing banned list, including guidance on applying its newly developed breed standards.

A compensation scheme to assist owners with the costs of having their animals euthanised by a vet is also being planned, with further details to follow at a later date.

The Government last month pledged to define and ban the breed by the end of this year, following a series of serious attack incidents.

New offences

Proposals laid before Parliament today (31 October) will require all XL bully dogs to be muzzled and on a lead in public from 31 December. Owners are being advised to start training their dogs to meet those requirements.

It will also become an offence to breed, sell, advertise, rehome and abandon an XL bully from that date, as well as allowing one to stray, from that date.

The department said breeders have been told to stop mating the dogs from now ahead of the restrictions coming into force.

Then, from 1 February 2024, it will be illegal to own an XL bully dog unless it is on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Dogs with a certificate of exemption will also need to be microchipped and neutered, although owners will have until the end of June to neuter dogs aged more than a year old and the end of 2024 for younger animals.

The department has been criticised for its handling of the issue by veterinary and welfare groups, with the RSPCA revealing it walked away from breed definition talks because of the extent of its concern.

Debate debacle

But Defra secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “We are taking quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks and today I have added the XL bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

“We will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, as we take forward these important measures.”

The department has also argued that staggering the introduction of the implementation will give owners sufficient time to prepare for them.

The announcement also follows confirmation that a petition against the ban, which has been signed by nearly 600,000 people, will be debated in Parliament on 27 November.

Details of the breed definition can be found here.