XL Bully type dogs added to list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act

It follows a number of attacks on people and livestock XL Bully dogs

Alex Black
clock • 2 min read
XL Bully type dogs added to list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act

New laws banning XL Bully type dogs have been laid in Parliament today, as the Government adds the breed to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. 

Under the new rules, which come into force at the end of the year, it will be illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL Bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.

XL Bully

From this date, these dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. Owners of XL Bully dogs are recommended to start training their dog to wear a muzzle and to walk on a lead ahead of the legal restrictions coming into force.

See more: 22 pregnant ewes killed in an attack by two American bully XL dogs

Breeders have also been told to stop mating these types of dogs from now in preparation of it being a criminal offence to sell or rehome these dogs.

From 1 February 2024, it will become illegal to own an XL Bully dog if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs. Owners will have until the end of January to register the dogs.

As well as being muzzled and kept on a lead in public, these dogs must be microchipped and neutered. Dogs under one year when the ban comes in must be neutered by the end of the year, older dogs must be neutered by the end of June. 

Defra Secretary Therese Coffey said the Government was taking ‘quick and decisive action'.

Take the Lead

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

Owners may choose to have their dog put to sleep by a vet, with compensation provided to help with these costs.

See more: Public should face tougher sanctions for damaging livelihoods

As part of the process, the definition of the ‘XL Bully' breed type has also been published today, providing clear assessment criteria for owners and enforcement authorities.

Owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control are already breaking the law, and the enforcement authorities have a full range of powers to apply penalties to them. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or their dangerous dogs can be euthanised. 

 

null
Farmers Guardian is supporting 'take the lead' campaign to encourage owners to put their dogs on a lead when near livestock

FREE signs warning dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead near livestock are available through Farmers Guardian's Take the Lead campaign, in association with the National Sheep Association.

To request yours, send a stamped selfaddressed A4 envelope to: FG Take the Lead, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ. We will be able to send up to 25 signs.

New Swaledale Bracken Bruiser

New Swaledale Bracken Bruiser

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

Longdog GP Quad trailer

Longdog GP Quad trailer

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

BUY ANY OF OUR TOP 3 KAWASAKI MODELS

BUY ANY OF OUR TOP 3 KAWASAKI MODELS

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Rural crime

Rural crime policy steps up protection for farmers

Rural crime policy steps up protection for farmers

Welsh Government says greater collaboration wil help to tackle rising crime costs

clock 10 July 2025 • 2 min read
Farmers' testimonies crucial in progression of livestock worrying Bill

Farmers' testimonies crucial in progression of livestock worrying Bill

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is getting closer to being passed into legislation, and farmers have been praised for sharing what can often be difficult and heartbreaking experiences on the issue

clock 07 July 2025 • 6 min read
Farmer fined after covering road with potatoes, mud and silt

Farmer fined after covering road with potatoes, mud and silt

An estimated 50 to 100 tonnes of soil from the field had run off the field down onto the A358 and then into the watercourse

clock 05 July 2025 • 3 min read