After the horrific dog attacks that have taken place involving American XL Bully dogs in recent weeks, it was inevitable that the government would come under pressure to act. The Prime Minister has announced that these dogs would be added to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year.
Banning breeds is hugely controversial, with Battersea, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, The Kennel Club, RSPCA, Scottish SPCA and BVA teaming up as the Dog Control Coalition to campaign for the breed specific legislation to be repealed and replaced with legislation that better protects public safety and dog welfare. The Dog Control Coalition is particularly concerned about the part of the law that labels certain types of dogs as dangerous purely based on their looks, and wants to avoid the unnecessary euthanasia of happy, friendly dogs. There are four breeds that are currently banned: the American pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentinos and the Fila Brazileiro. For American pit bull terriers, identification depends on their appearance compared to American Dog Breeding Association standards rather than their genetics. This means that legal breeds can be identified as illegal dogs – and potentially be euthanised – if they look close enough to the standard. The government is working with experts to urgently define the American XL Bully, but the Dog Control Coalition point out that identifying breeds accurately, especially the American XL Bully, is difficult due to similarities with other breeds.
One of the main arguments for repealing this legislation is that the current system has not reduced the number of dog attacks, with a BBC News (2023) investigation finding that there were nearly 22 000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury in 2022 – a third higher than just 5 years ago. There were 10 fatal dog attacks in the UK in 2022, compared to an average of 3 in previous years, suggesting that serious dog attacks are also rising.
While many argue that the problem is often the owner rather than the breed, a major issue is the sheer size of these dogs. With dogs sometimes weighing more than 60 kg, the damage they can do if they become out of control is massive. However, a ban is unlikely to be the answer. While it doesn't provide a popular sound bite for a politician, I suspect what is really needed to stem our dog attack problem is education of the public on how to behave around dogs, education for owners on responsible dog ownership, a crackdown on irresponsible breeding and a more robust response to problem behaviour, with early intervention for aggressive dogs. There are anecdotal reports that many responsible owners of XL Bully dogs are distraught that their much loved family pet will be a banned breed, with some concerned what this will mean for their animal. The lack of current detail for these owners must be very difficult.
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