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.

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.225 EFD7

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.225 EFD7

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.225 EFD7

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.225 EFD7

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.205 EXD7

2021 Massey Ferguson 8S.205 EXD7

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Rural crime

National Rural Crime Action Week: NFU underlines need for ongoing action to shield farming families from the devastating impact of rural crime

National Rural Crime Action Week: NFU underlines need for ongoing action to shield farming families from the devastating impact of rural crime

The NFU are calling for the government to create a cross-departmental rural crime task force to address the failures in dealing with rural crime

clock 12 September 2025 • 2 min read
Rural Crime Action Week: 'We cannot fight for extra resources if the actual scale is unknown', says CLA

Rural Crime Action Week: 'We cannot fight for extra resources if the actual scale is unknown', says CLA

Members have been encouraged to contact the CLA on all matters related to crime, particularly as it helps in its work with police forces across the North and beyond

clock 10 September 2025 • 2 min read
Rural Crime Action Week: Rural Crime falls by 17% across the Thames Valley after 'concerted effort'

Rural Crime Action Week: Rural Crime falls by 17% across the Thames Valley after 'concerted effort'

In the rural districts of West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse, the decrease in rural crime was 36% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter last year

clock 09 September 2025 • 3 min read