The English and Welsh government announced last month that as of Sunday 16th May it will be illegal to breed, sell, exchange, give away or abandon any dog belonging to the XL Bully breed.
The new legislation is part of a plan to deal with the increasing number of dangerous dogs in the country. It is an attempt to address the problem of irresponsible owners who put the public at risk by having an aggressive and unpredictable breed.
This breed of dog, also known as an American Bully in the USA, has a variety of different shapes and sizes, but all are bred to be powerful, muscular and guard-like.
Under the new regulations, anyone convicted of owning a Bully will face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000. Anyone convicted of breeding, selling, exchanging, giving away or abandoning a Bully will face up to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to £7,500.
The new rules also provide for ‘dangerous dog orders’, which give police and local authorities control of dogs they deem dangerous and require owners to take certain steps to ensure their dog does not pose a risk.
The Welsh government said that it hopes the law will help protect the public from dangerous dogs, while also helping to prevent owners from buying or keeping the breed as a status symbol.
