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Hunt Sabs Want the XL Bully Ban Overturned

The law banning the ownership of American Bully XL dogs in England and Wales came into force on 1 February 2024, motivated by a worrying rise in fatal attacks by the breed, particularly against children and old people. Despite this, animal rights activists and hunt saboteurs remain convinced XL Bullies are just cuddly little critters and the victims of unfair legislation.  

 

On Friday 2 February anti-hunting group, Protect the Wild, launched a video on their website and various social media platforms calling the ban “hypocrisy”.  

 

A spokesperson for the group claimed: "XL bullies are struggling for their lives through little fault of their own. It is beyond clear that the vast majority of dog attacks stem from irresponsible owners." 

 

The statement is naturally naïve, out of touch, and very poorly timed. On Saturday 3 February, only one day after Protect the Wild’s video was launched, 68-year-old Esther Martin from Essex was tragically killed by an XL Bully when going to visit her 11-year-old grandson in Jaywick Sands, near Clacton-on-Sea. Police said a 39-year-old man from Jaywick has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous dogs offences and remains in custody. 

 

Just a week later, on Saturday 10 February, the BBC reported that an eight-year-old boy was bitten on the head by an XL Bully in Merseyside, causing “life-changing” injuries. Det Insp Gary Stratton, from Merseyside Police, commented: "Officers attended and seized the dog - an XL Bully - which was humanely destroyed later on Saturday with the agreement of the owner." 

 

Det Insp Stratton further said that "this case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs, and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take pro-active action." 

 

Naturally, Protect the Wild’s endorsement of XL Bullies caused quite the stir – even from group’s own supporters, with one social media user commenting “I used to support this channel but considering XL bullies kill 70k reported pets each year (including 3 of mine last year, and almost killing me 2 times) I cannot in good faith knowing you support animal abuse”.



In the video, Protect the Wild’s spokesman cites research from Middlesex University, which claims inappropriate human behaviour around dogs is a “key factor” behind dog attacks and that individual breeds should therefore not be banned. He then uses this research to launch a totally unfounded attack against foxhounds and beagles:  

 

"What's even crazier then, is the hypocrisy in which the government allows hunts up and down the country to train hounds to be dangerous,” he says. 

 

This seems a bizarre non sequitur given that hounds were responsible for literally zero dog attacks in 2023. XL Bullies, meanwhile, were responsible for over 150 attacks in a single year, according to Bully Watch.   


Source: Bully Watch. Data shows Hunt Hounds are responsible for zero attacks

Bully Watch, a campaign group formed to raise awareness of the danger presented by XL Bullies, similarly reported in October that large bully-type dogs were involved in over 350 attacks in the year to date, with XL Bullies being responsible for 43% of those attacks. 

 

In September, the government gave XL Bully owners a deadline of 31 January to register their dogs for a valid Certificate of Exemption. Meanwhile, under the new legislation it is also an offence to: 

  • Sell an XL Bully dog 

  • Abandon an XL Bully dog or let it stray 

  • Give away an XL Bully dog 

  • Breed or breed from an XL Bully dog 

  • Have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle 

 

With applications for Certificates of Exemption now closed, the RSPCA has warned that thousands of XL Bully owners are likely to be breaching the ban. The popularity of the bully breed is thought to be behind a recent rise in the overall number of dog attacks in Britain.  


Source: BBC

The ban on owning and breeding Bully XLs is backed by a majority of Brits, with a poll by GB News showing that 57% support the ban while only 17% are opposed. Naturally, however, sabs like to be contrarian, using the XL Bully debate, an emotive issue in its own right, to gain notoriety and push an unrelated ideological agenda.  

 

Protect the Wild’s defence of XL Bullies is remarkably upsetting, especially for those affected by recent dog attacks. It is also remarkably illogical, given trail hunting is an entirely legal practice, where hounds are trained to follow a scent, listen to their owners and keepers, and have never attacked anyone. 

 

But logic is not exactly what hunt saboteurs are known for.  


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