American XL Bully dogs are set to be banned under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 by the end of the year after a number of attacks.
Adam Barr, 32, owns 16 dogs with three of them being an American XL Bully. Barr has shared posts on his Instagram against the ban to his 131 thousand followers, with him stating that he’s “embarrassed to be British” as a result of the ban.
Barr stated: “I don’t claim to be a vet or a dog behavioural expert but I’ll put it like this I would be more concerned about what my Toy Poodle would do over my XL Bully which is 100 times bigger than him.” Barr went on to claim that “These attacks are not XL Bully’s and it is pure ignorance to even refer to these attacks to be done by XL Bully’s as in every single case it has been a mixed breed. They are destroying a breed that is undeserving of it.”
According to a report the breed has been involved in 44% of the attacks in 2023 and recent research has found a strong link between the dog breed and aggressive behaviour.
The Leeds RSPCA is a part of the Dog Control Coalition and a statement about the Government’s recent decision has been announced: “The biggest priority for everyone involved is to protect the public but banning the breed will sadly not stop these types of incidents from recurring.” The Coalition went on to say “For 32 years, the Dangerous Dogs Act has focused on banning types of dog and yet has coincided with an increase in dog bites and the recent deaths show that this approach isn’t working. The UK Government must tackle the root issue by dealing with the unscrupulous breeders, who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control.”
