Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now confirmed that a ban of the dogs will come into force by the end of the year. After a spate of attacks, the Prime minister has declared that the dogs are a “danger to our communities, particularly our children”, and that he is committed to taking all necessary steps to keep the public safe.
However, American XL Bullies are not recognised as a specific breed by the Kennel Club which raises concerns over the feasibility of the ban due to the difficulty to define the breed and the risk of unintentionally banning other breeds as well.
Sir John Hayes has also been campaigning in the House of Commons to ban American XL Bullies following the death of a 10-year-old boy in South Wales, who was attacked by a dog of the same breed back in 2021.
At the moment in the UK, there are four banned breeds of dogs: Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Pit Bull Terrier and Japanese Tosa.
Charities such as RSPCA have been campaigning against the ban of specific breeds as it sees “thousands of innocent” animals put down simply because they are perceived dangerous and propose to focus on individual dogs and owners.
They are also supported by the Dog Trust, who ask for a law that would allow them to intervene early and prevent incidents involving certain dogs and owners.
Meanwhile, the 11-year-old victim in Birmingham in recovering from the terrifying incident on Saturday together with two other men who stepped in and have been injured by the dog in their quest to save the young girl.
[Image via Shutterstock]