From December 31, it will be illegal to breed, sell, offer, exchange, advertise and abandon American Bully XL dogs in England and Wales, and these animals must have a leash and muzzle, according to the British “The Independent” newspaper. “.
The move follows a series of “worrying” attacks in recent months. Last week, a 29-year-old woman was seriously injured in North Tyneside and a police officer was bitten by an American Bully XL dog in Leicestershire. In early October, according to the same newspaper, a woman was bitten by her own dog.
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said the government had taken “swift and decisive action to protect citizens from the unfortunate attacks”.
Keeping these animals will become illegal from February 1, 2024, so owners of dogs not on the exempt list risk paying fines.
In terms of sterilization, animals above one year of age on January 31, 2024 should be sterilized by June of the following year and animals below one year of age by the end of 2024.
Therese Coffey promised the executive would “continue to work with the police, vets and animal welfare groups”.
Six out of ten dog attack deaths in the country last year involved the now-banned breed. The most recent fatality was Ian Prince, a 52-year-old man who died in September from injuries sustained by two American Bully XL dogs.
