Crufts bosses say XL Bullies will continue to be bred through loopholes and insist government ban on dangerous dogs is ‘doomed to fail’

XL Bullies will continue to be bred through loopholes, according to Crufts bosses who believe that the government ban on dangerous dogs is ‘doomed to fail’. 

The organisers of one of the biggest dog shows in the world claim that the law does not stop the breeding of dogs or prevent dangerous attacks. 

From February 1, it became a criminal offence to own the XL bully breed in England and Wales without an exemption certificate and it was added to the list of banned dangerous dogs.

It is also now against the law to breed, sell, rehome, advertise or abandon XL Bully pups in England and Wales, with Northern Ireland reportedly looking into clamping down on the breed.

But Dr Ed Hayes, head of public affairs at The Kennel Club, the organiser of Crufts, said that the legislation is ‘doomed to fail’ because of gaps in the law. 

He told the Telegraph: ‘We are going to continue to have a supply of dogs that grow into XL bullies as years go by. 

‘There will be a huge number of XL bullies going through the court process forever more because they’ll continue to be produced by mating two legal dogs together.’

Dr Hayes said that breeders will pair two dogs together that are half an inch under the legal limit, therefore making it legal. 

But these two hounds can create a litter of dogs that end up growing taller and therefore classed as XL Bullies.

The Crufts official also said that the Dangerous Dog Act is another strain on police resources, adding that after being assessed in court, the canines are ‘typically’ handed back to their owners. 

In January it was reported that police have spent at least £2.2 million housing XL bullies.

Bill Lambert, a spokesman for Crufts, told the outlet that the Act was not working, claiming that there had been an ‘increase’ in dog bites.

‘We’re really disappointed that the Government hasn’t taken this opportunity to look at the whole Act,’ he said. 

Mr Lambert said the government should consider a staged approach to help support owners, for example, dogs could be muzzled in public or kept on a lead before a risk has emerged.

Currently, owners who do not have a certificate for their dogs can face fines, prosecution and having their pet confiscated, meaning many dogs were abandoned after details of the ban emerged.

This comes a vets have faced ‘abuse and threats’ from XL Bully owners over the dog breed’s ban, according to the president of the British Veterinary Association.

Anna Judson said the situation had created a ‘very emotionally charged atmosphere’ and some ‘really challenging situations’ between owners and vets.

She reminded lovers of the breed to be ‘mindful’ and ‘kind’ to vets dealing with the rapid change.

Ms Judson added that the BVA was ‘very concerned’ the ban was a ‘short-term fix to a much larger problem’ and there was a risk of ‘transferring the problems to another breed in future’.

The chief told Clare Balding on Channel 4‘s coverage of Crufts that the association was not consulted over the ban and that ‘it came as quite a surprise’.

Ms Judson said: ‘One of our concerns at the British Veterinary Association is the speed at which the ban was introduced.

‘It’s created some really challenging situations, it’s put the vets, the rescue charities and the XL bully owners into some very stressful situations.

‘And with that came a very emotionally charged atmosphere and, unfortunately, that has spilt over to some abuse and threats of veterinary teams and vets.

‘So, one of the things we would respectfully ask is that people are just mindful, even if they’re feeling stressed, of how their actions and words come across.

‘And to be kind and courteous to the vet teams, particularly as we come up to these neutering deadlines.’

The BVA is calling for an overhaul of dangerous dogs legislation with a ‘much stronger focus on responsible dog breeding and responsible dog ownership’, Ms Judson said. 

To qualify for an exemption certificate, most owners must prove their XL bully has been neutered by June 30.

Owners of dogs under a year old have a longer deadline until December 31 to prove their pet has been neutered.

In Scotland, the first part of restrictions on XL bully-type dogs came into force on February 23.

Ms Judson said: ‘We would really strongly urge that XL bully owners get in touch with their vets.

‘And work with them in partnership to make sure that we can stagger the numbers going through the neutering process so we don’t end up with a bottleneck and some capacity issues which will just heighten everybody’s emotional state again.’

Around 25 people have been killed by dangerous dogs since the beginning of lockdown in 2020.

At the start of last month, a grandmother was mauled to death by two ‘unregistered’ XL Bully dogs while visiting her grandson.

Esther Martin, aged 68, who was in the area visiting her eleven-year-old grandson.

The boy came out ‘shouting for help’ when the attack happened, the family said.

Her daughter told MailOnline that her mother – from Woodford Green, London – had previously told the dogs’ owner that they were dangerous.

This comes as XL Bullys face a clampdown in Northern Ireland under proposed restrictions, including wearing muzzles and a ban on breeding. 

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said he was bringing forward legislation requiring people to register their ownership of the breed and obtain an exemption certification, and also to keep them on a lead and muzzled while in public.

There would also be a ban on breeding, selling, abandoning or giving away XL bully dogs in the region.

XL bullies would also have to be neutered under the planned law changes, Mr Muir said.

Additionally, owners would be required to obtain a form of public liability insurance and ensure the animals were kept in secure conditions.

The rules will require additional legislation which may take until the autumn.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘We took quick and decisive action to ban XL Bullies in order to protect the public from tragic dog attacks, and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions that are now set out in law.

‘More widely, we will continue to work with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to encourage responsible dog ownership of all breeds, to ensure dog control issues are addressed before they escalate.’