The ban on XL Bullies in Wales and England has officially taken effect.
As of today, Feb. 1, owning the breed without an exemption certificate is a criminal offense. Unfortunately, officials say that thousands of Bully XL owners are currently in possession of the breed despite not having a certificate of exemption. For this reason, many are at risk of criminal charges and unlimited fines.
Owners fail to register thousands of XL Bullies as deadline passes
There are still about 15,000 unregistered XL bullies in England and Wales via The Guardian.
The deadline for applying for a certificate of exemption lapsed at midday, Jan. 31. However, not every owner of this breed applied for one. Those now caught without a certificate will have their dogs seized.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has said that over 35,000 owners registered the banned breed before the deadline. Additionally, only 150 people applied for government compensation to have their pets euthanized, which was an alternative for those who no longer wanted to keep their pets following the announcement of the breed’s ban.
Police urge public to report XL Bully ban violations
With the ban now in effect, XL Bully owners with an exemption certificate must henceforth ensure they keep their pets muzzled at all times when out in public. Moreover, their dogs should always be on a lead. To ensure compliance with these strict rules, authorities are appealing to the public to report anyone who isn’t adhering to the restrictions.
In a statement, Steve Barclay — the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — reminded citizens that “it is illegal to own one of these dogs unless it has been registered.”
He added: “We have delivered our pledge to bring in this important measure to protect public safety and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions.”
