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11 months ago
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Confusion over the ban on XL Bullies will leave police even more stretched during the hectic Christmas period, MPs said today.
Dog owners face a race against time to meet the new rules, with legislation coming in on December 31.
This means owners have to apply to have their pets exempt from the crackdown - which means they would have to pay £92.40 for a certificate and the dog would need to be microchipped and neutered, among other rules.
The second option would be to have their dogs put down, with the Government offering £200 in compensation to these owners - which a 'large tranche' of vets say they will not do.
However, there is a lack of clarity over the legislation's definition of an XL Bully which MPs said will lead to headache for police enforcing the ban and a likely legal challenge.
A suspected XL Bully attacks a man (pictured left lying on the floor), who according to bystanders came to help the woman struggling to control her dogs, in Stratford yesterday
When the owner (pictured) finally gets a hold of the second dog, the terrified man runs away just before the train stops at the platform
MPs told MailOnline today such ambiguity poses a risk to public safety, while a dog expert said the introduction of the ban will be an 'absolute shambles' as the Government do not have an appropriate system in place to deal with the fallout.
Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns told MailOnline the ban 'without clear specifics' could pose a 'risk to public safety'.
She said: 'The misguided XL Bully ban will come into play at a time when the police are already overstretched during the busy Christmas period.
'Without clear specifics on the banned breeds, law enforcement may face confusion, potentially leading to unnecessary police force in the coming weeks.
'This ambiguity poses a risk to public safety.
'Until we can define the breed and conduct proper research, this ban should not proceed to prevent wasting police time and resources.'
Former Conservative minister Sir Chris Chope said the vague definition of an XL Bully will lead to a legal challenge and a headache for the police, who have to enforce the ban.
He told MailOnline: 'There's going to be an issue for the police anyway, because then the numbers of these dogs is much higher than the Government has estimated.
Footage shows members of the public reacting angrily as the dog - pictured - was led away
The dog bit a member of staff at Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester
'And nobody knows, because of the vague definition, nobody knows for certain whether a dog is an XL Bully-type dog for the purposes of this legislation or not.
'And I think it's going to be the subject of of legal challenge.'
He added that the ban was 'a poorly thought-out piece of knee-jerk legislation which is going to have the consequence of causing lots and lots of pet owners suffering.
'Why would the Government want to do that?'
'The legislation doesn't come in until December 31 and then it allows people, I think, a couple of months within which to register their XL Bullies if they want to.
'There are lots of problems with this legislation, but I don't think pressure on the police over Christmas is probably the strongest argument against it.
There have been numerous reports of XL Bully attacks in the last year, including a 10-year-old boy being mauled in Blackburn as well as a campaigner for the breed describing the horrific injuries an XL Bully inflicted on him.
This is the terrifying moment a dog - thought to be an XL bully ' mauls a 10-year-old boy in a street, as locals try and fight the animal off
The boy frantically tries to run away as the dog leaps at him before tugging on his coat. The adult then tries to free the boy from the dog while two bystanders rush to help
Two XL Bully dogs recently launched an attack on a rail platform, another dog attacked a security guard while in another video an XL Bully charged at police officers.
Dog behaviourist and obedience trainer Stan Rawlinson told MailOnline the introduction of the ban will be an 'absolute shambles' as the Government do not have an appropriate system in place to deal with the fallout.
He said: 'They're gonna have an enormous problem. The unfortunate situation is nothing is fully in place to be able to do what they're supposed to do.
'It's an absolute shambles... no one is going to be able to police this ban because the only people that can actually do it at this moment in time are the police.'
Mr Rawlinson, who has retired from one to one behavioural work to campaign against bad practices, added that there is a major shortage of experts needed to identify these dogs.
'DNA testing doesn't work because the applites of dogs are too diverse to be able to use DNA as a check in this moment of time,' he said.
'The Bully XL is not a specific breed of dog. It is easier to do a labrador or a springer but even then it is not accurate.
Ben Cźyżyk, 38, was set upon after the dog's owner ordered that it attack him on Friday night
Mr Cźyżyk showed pictures of his wounds after the dog attack on Friday in Wolverhampton
'I believe in the whole of London. There's only 3 experts on this. In the country we have very few people in place that can professionally investigate one of these dogs.
He added that the police are dealing with enough at the moment without having to police the XL Bully ban.
He said: 'The police are hamstrung to come out if you get bloody raped or burgled, or whatever you know, so I can't see them doing it. So there's gonna be difficulty.
Mr Rawlinson said there will be 'difficulties' in the dogs being destroyed as a lot of vets have said they will not put down a dog with a 'reasonable' temperament.
He said: 'The dogs are supposed to be destroyed but the vets are refusing to do that. A large tranche of vets say we will not destroy a healthy dog with a reasonable temperament these dogs have got to be temperament tested.'
To get an exemption licence for an XL Bully, the dog must be temperament tested by an expert and Mr Rawlinson said there are very few experts in the UK.
When the door eventually opened, an American XL Bully dog raced out towards them at speed, charging at the first police officer while barking loudly
This is the terrifying moment that an American XL Bully dog charged at police officers after being unleashed by its owner, whom they were trying to arrest in south Yorkshire
He said: 'There's about 12 people able to temperament test these dogs, safely. I was one of them. I have retired, of course.
'If you want to get a licence, you have to get it temperament tested.
'How is that going to happen by the end of December?'
Before the introduction of the ban, Mr Rawlinson was a strong Tory supporter.
However, his view has changed since the 'ill-thought out' ban was conceived.
The dog sprints after another man, who is seen on the film wearing a while t-shirt and shorts
He is chased onto a petrol station forecourt where he was attacked before the animal is hit and stops the attack
He said: 'If you had cut me, I would have bled conservative. I wouldn't now though.
'I don't know what has happened but they are not doing real politics. They are doing gesture politics.
'They haven't thought this through. They haven't got a system in place to be able to police it and they haven't got a strong direction to tell these people what they have to do.
'Most of these people don't even know what height an XL bully is supposed to be. A male is supposed to be at least 20 inches at the withers, which is the top of the shoulders, the female 19 inches.
'If they are anything below, it doesn't matter what they look like, they're not an XL Bully. Simple, end off. But people don't seem to understand that - it's so important. There's a lot of people out there running around like headless chickens.'
'It is panic politics, it is knee-jerk politics.
Mr Rawlinson said the Government should have brought in a 'specialised licence' for the XL Bully breed.
He said: 'That licence would be for potentially dangerous dogs. They then put the description of that out, and they should have given them a year to get a licence, because there's a few things that have to do.
'I don't know why they think they can just destroy these dogs. They have done nothing wrong.
'Under the law at this moment in time, a dog should be temperament tested before it is destroyed anyway.'
Previously, former Conservative minister Sir Christopher Chope called the ban 'very unfair' and urged the bill be debated by MPs.
The man can be seen wrestling with the powerful animal as he tries to bring it under control
The dog is believed to be an XL Bully-type. The mongrel crossbreeds are set to be banned by the end of the year under UK Government plans
Addressing the Commons, he said: 'This is a motion which is calling on the Government to bring forward a debate before the ban XL bully-type dogs is implemented at the end of December.
'(Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt) will know that some 650,000 people across the country have already signed a petition against what the Government is proposing because not only is it very unfair, but it's also very vague and there are a lot of dog owners who don't know whether their dogs will be included or not.
'This is most unsatisfactory legislation. Shouldn't it be debated in this House before it is implemented?'
Many owners are desperately trying to get their pets rehomed in Scotland or Northern Ireland before the ban comes in.
The new ban could lead to more XL Bully dogs being abandoned across the UK if veterinarians are unable to help owners meet the terms of the policy, a charity previously warned.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) fears the rules may lead to a 'postcode lottery' on vets being able to help owners meet the terms.
The charity said: 'We fear that these factors will result in a postcode lottery on helping owners euthanise or neuter their bully XLs, and could increase abandonment rates for owners that have nowhere else to turn.'
At the start of the month, following a Government update on the ban, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home released a statement on behalf of the Dog Control Coalition that expressed concerns over Defra's definition of an American bully XL type.
The group said: 'As a coalition of the country's leading dog welfare and veterinary organisations we...will take time to thoroughly review this, whilst continuing to support owners in any way we can, including offering support and advice.
'We will also continue to support those working in the animal welfare sector who care for American bully XLs, and the vets who may find themselves asked to euthanise healthy dogs for no other reason than how they look.'
Injuries and deaths after attacks by XL Bully type dogs
Jonathan Halstead, 35 - January 29, 2020
Jonathan died after a severe neck injury and bites after being attacked in his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester by his pet Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bronson.
It is believed the dog attacked him when its owner suffered an epileptic fit.
Jack Lis, 10 - November 8, 2021
Schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, suffered catastrophic injuries in the mauling by an American XL Bully dog called Beast while visiting a friend's home in Penyrheol in Caerphilly, Wales on November 8, 2021.
Neighbours and Welsh Ambulance Service paramedics desperately tried to save him but he died at the scene. Armed police destroyed the dog on site.
Adam Watts, 55 - December 22, 2021
Adam Watts, 55, was attacked at the Juniper Kennels and Cattery in Kirkton of Auchterhouse, near Dundee, and was pronounced dead at the scene on December 22, 2021.
MARCH 21, 2022: Undated family handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of Bella-Rae Birch
Bella-Rae Birch, 17 months - March 21, 2022
Toddler Bella-Rae Birch was attacked by her family's pet American Bully XL dog when she was just 17 months old.
The vicious dog snatched the child out of her mother's arms while they were at their home in Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, on March 21 last year.
Keven Jones, 62 - May 28, 2022
Keven Jones died after he was attacked by an American Bully XL dog in Wrexham, Wales on May 28 last year.
Ambulance workers attempted to save him but they were unable to stop his left leg from bleeding.
Mr Jones was then pronounced dead at his son's house following the attack.
Joanne Robinson, 43 - July 15, 2022
Mother-of-two Joanne Robinson, 43, was killed by her American Bully XL dog, Rocco, after it 'turned mad in the extreme heat' in July last year.
She died at the scene of the attack at home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire while her partner, Jamie Stead, was left with injuries to his hands, stomach and face as he tried to pull the animal off her.
Joanne's mother Dot, of Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, revealed at the time that Rocco had previously fought with their other dog Lola - and she had warned her daughter to 'get rid of one of them'.
Ian Symes, 34 - August 2022
Ian 'Wiggy' Symes, 34, who is understood to have been walking a Bully XL dog himself at a recreation ground in Fareham, Hampshire, died at the scene following a horrific dog attack in August 2022.
His devastated family said he was out dog walking and 'doing something he loved' when he died at the field in Fareham, Hampshire.
Ann Dunn, 65 - October 3, 2022
Ann Dunn, 65, was found collapsed with 'catastrophic injuries' at her Liverpool home she shared with seven dogs on October 3 last year.
She was mauled to death by dogs including an American Bully XL - and had been sent to hospital a year before her death because she had been bitten by a dog.
Shirley Patrick, 83 - December 3, 2022
Widowed grandmother Shirley Patrick, 83, died after being viciously mauled by an XL Bully in her own home.
The retired nurse died in hospital 17 days after suffering 'life-threatening injuries' during the 'hellish' and 'violent' dog attack in Caerphilly, South Wales on December 3 last year.
Jonathan Hogg, 37 - May 18, 2023
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was mauled to death by an American XL Bully dog after it turned on him while he was looking after it for a friend.
He entered the dogs' pen when it went for him, leaving bite wounds on his arm, leg and head, an inquest heard.
He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries after the mauling in Leigh, Greater Manchester, on May 18 this year.
Ian Price, 52 - September 14, 2023
On Thursday, September 14, 'pillar of the community' Ian Price, 52, was attacked and killed by two 'devil' XL Bully dogs after they jumped out of his neighbour's window in Stonnall, Staffordshire.
Mr Price, from Stonnall, Staffordshire, was attacked and killed by the two dogs which jumped out of a neighbour's window yards from a primary school. He reportedly died defending his elderly mother from the animals.
The dogs bit him and ripped the clothes from his body leaving him dying in a pool of blood in his boxer shorts in the horror attack just feet from his home.
Ian Langley, 54 - October 3, 2023
Ian Langley, 54, was set upon on the estate in Sunderland on October 3 this year by an enormous XL Bully dog which grabbed him by the neck as he bent down to pick up his Patterdale terrier pup.
The attack left Mr Langley needing CPR for around 15 minutes as emergency services fought to staunch heavy bleeding from his wounds. However he tragically succumbed to his injuries. His dog survived.
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