North Yorkshire MP defends Government's ban on 'ticking time bomb' XL bully dogs
A North Yorkshire MP has defended the Government's new laws against XL bullies, describing the dogs as a "ticking time bomb". Scarborough and Whitby MP Sir Robert Goodwill chairs the committee which was instrumental in creating the law.
The ban, which came into force at midnight on Thursday, 1 February, means XL bully owners will be committing a criminal offence unless they have registered their dog, have it neutered, have third party insurance and keep it on a lead and muzzled when in public.
The Conservative MP told ITV News: "Having one of these dogs is like having a ticking time bomb.
"Certainly, I would not be happy for my grandchildren to go and play at somebody's house where one of these dogs was."
Around 35,000 XL bullies have been registered in the UK so far and approximately 150 have been euthanised, according to Sir Robert.
The Government introduced legislation to restrict the breed after a significant increase in the number of dog attacks in the last couple of years.
Sir Robert said that until recently the UK would see approximately 3 deaths caused by dogs a year - but that there have been 23 fatalities in the last two years, with 12 of those being caused by XL bullies.
Responding to concerns from dog owners that the banned breed was being made a scapegoat for their treatment by irresponsible owners, Sir Robert said: "I would never leave any dog, even a terrier, with a baby unsupervised.
"These dogs have been very disproportionate in terms of the attacks that have taken place."
He added: "Unfortunately, you can't do very much about what the owners do but the fact of the matter is that these dogs are dangerous.
"There are even families who have had these dogs and said they are really good pets and something just happened. Maybe someone stood on its tail or it was feeling in a particularly aggressive mood."
Sir Robert said XL bullies are 275 times more dangerous than the average dog.
He also said the dogs were highly sought after by drug dealers and organised criminals to intimidate people.
Some owners had complained about the cost and difficulty of the exemption process.
Sir Robert responded: "The alternative would have been a complete ban on these dogs and for them all to be rounded up and euthanised.
"The Government - I think very sensibly - took the view that if measures were put in place to protect people - particularly the muzzling - then the threat is being minimised.
"That does not, of course, prevent these dogs attacking people in the home and that is one of my worries."
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