American Bully XL and banned breeds advice
It is a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless your dog has a valid Certificate of Exemption.
How do I know if my dog is an XL Bully?
You can use the official definition of an XL Bully to check if your dog may be an XL Bully. This involves checking the dog’s physical characteristics such as its size and height.
If you’re not sure if you have an XL Bully, you should comply with all new requirements for this dog type. This includes puppies that may grow up to be an XL Bully.
The ban only applies to XL Bully. There are other established breeds, such as those recognised by the UK Kennel Club that may meet some of the characteristics of the XL Bully breed type. These are not within scope of the ban.
Which types of dogs are banned in the UK?
The 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act gives the Government the power to ban any breed appearing to be bred for fighting or to have the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, these breed types are currently banned in the UK:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- Japanese Tosa
It is an offence to:
- Have possession or custody of a banned breed
- To breed (or breed from) the dog
- To sell or exchange the dog
- To make or offer to make a gift of the dog
- Allow the dog to be in a public place without being muzzled and kept on a lead
- Abandon the dog or allow them to stray
If you own a currently banned breed type and don’t have a Certificate of Exemption to allow you to keep them, the police can seize the dog and retain them, even if they’re not acting dangerously and no complaint has been made. A court process is then needed to determine if the dog poses a danger to the public and whether the owner can apply for an exemption certificate.
You can find more information about current rules for banned breed types on the Government’s website.