XL bully ban will lead to dogs with worse 'bite factor' on streets Liverpool animal shelter warns

An animal sanctuary has warned banning American bully XLs will lead to 'backyard breeders' rearing dogs "you do not want on the street".

Carla Lane Animals in Need, in Liverpool, has seen a steep increase in unwanted XLs since the announcement from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ban the dog in the UK by the end of 2023.

The announcement followed a spate of attacks, including a man mauled to death by two XL bullies.

Two-year-old Rex is an XL bully who came to the shelter suffering from neglect. Credit: ITV

Sanctuary Manager Cathy Billington says a ban "will not solve the problem" with XL bullies, as it "never solved the problem" with Pitbulls - which were banned by the UK Government in 1991.

She said: "The problem is always going to be breeding of dogs.

"Because we are having every backyard breeder breeding these XL bullies that aren't being socialised, aren't being trained properly."

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She added: "You then ban the XL bullies, they'll move onto the Cane Corsos, the Presa Canarios - which you do not want on the streets, you really don't.

"They're going to be worse than the XL bullies in regard to bite factor."

The legislation has been met by criticism from some XL bully owners who say their dogs are being 'punished' because of 'irresponsible owners'.

Rescue dog Lyla had her ears illegally clipped with a pair of scissors by her previous owners. Credit: ITV

Jake and Kelly Mattison adopted rescue dog Lyla, a large bully breed, when she was six-months-old.

Kelly says Lyla is "the most gentle, softest, loving dog we've ever had", but despite technically not being an XL bully, under the exemption rules, Lyla may have to be muzzled and on a lead at all times in public.

The couple say the ban on XL bullies is 'short sighted' and 'not thought out'.

An XL bully can weigh more than nine stone (60kg) and originated in the US when American pit bull terriers were crossed with American Staffordshire terriers.

There are four variations: standard, pocket, classic and XL.

The American XL Bully is not recognised as a specific breed in the UK making it difficult to define which dogs will be banned.

Kellie O'Shea, Volunteer Consultant at Carla Lanes Animals in Need, says if the ban comes in the UK will be facing a "mass cull".

She said: "I think we are going to face a mass cull of dogs and it can not be allowed to happen."

She added: "There are already cases of abandonment of dogs.

"There are already cases of people having their dogs euthanised because they think there is no way through the legislation."

The XL bullies will join four other illegal dog breeds in the UK: the Pit Bull terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro.

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