XL bully dogs in rescue homes win last-ditch reprieve

XL bullies have been given a temporary reprieve after campaigners won an injunction to stop rescue dogs being put down.

Strict new laws came into force on Sunday which make it a criminal offence for the dog to be unmuzzled and off a lead in public, with breeding, selling and rehoming also banned.

It follows public outcry at a rise in attacks by XL bullies, with an estimated 14 deaths of humans in the last three years and 351 attacks by large bully breeds this year alone, according to Bully Watch.

But campaigners were furious that Government guidelines meant any XL bullies that arrived in a dog rescue shelter since Oct 31, and had not been rehomed, would not qualify for an exemption to stay there, so would need to be put down.

It was estimated that more than 240 of them would be killed as a result.

Eleventh-hour legal bid

In an eleventh-hour legal bid, Carla Lane Animals in Need,  a 40-year-old rescue centre in Liverpool, applied for a temporary injunction to save them from euthanisation.

A High Court judge has now granted this, ordering that “no XL bully dog may be seized from a rehoming organisation and/or destroyed for want of, or ineligibility for, a certification of exemption” since October 31 “until further order of the court”.

Campaigners said it gives rescue centres “breathing space for now”, with the full consequences of putting these dogs down to be considered by judges later this month.

Don’t Ban Me Licence Me, the umbrella group that is crowdfunding for a judicial review against the wider XL bully legislation, said “this positive outcome will strengthen our case”.

The group failed in its earlier attempt to halt the entire ban with an emergency injunction but it could still be granted a judicial review hearing, with John Cooper KC of 25 Bedford Row instructed to lead the case.

Certificate of exemption

XL bully owners have until January 31 to apply for a certificate of exemption if they wish to keep their pet, which involves having the animal neutered, microchipped and covered by third-party public liability insurance.

After then, it will be a criminal offence to own an unregistered XL bully with the threat of a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary, said: “All XL bully owners are expected to comply with the law and we will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, with further restrictions on XL bully dogs coming into force on 1 February.”

A spokesman for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: “We have taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from dog attacks by adding the XL Bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act. We firmly believe that our approach is needed to reduce the risks to the public.”