Government to *finally* look at banning XL bullies

[NoCharnce]

Thank goodness. I cannot believe it has taken so long* to even look at banning these awful creatures (I say that as a dog lover). Looks like the viral footage of an XL mauling two men who were trying to defend an 11 year old girl is the straw that broke the camels back.

Tweet direct from Home Sec: https://x.com/suellabraverman/status/1700924751646982312?s=46&t=QlNZXgFJWDXuxa3K3yo7ag

*policy makers have been captured by the RSPCA/Dog’s Trust etc “it’s not the breed, it’s the owner” dogma

Just read that the attacking dog was actually a bully crossed with a staffy:

The animal was a bully XL crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, police confirmed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66775340

Well there you go. Never mind God, thank those men for saving that girl's life. Heroes

More videos out now - I think both the people attacked were very fortunate to be where they were, lots of able bodied young blokes who were willing to help.

They were very brave. The owner wants prison

Incredibly brave

That animal was sprinting to attack which could easily have been deadly

It's a combo of breed and owner.

Of course it is. It's the old nature vs nurture debate and the true answer is likely to be 'a complex combination of both'.

We are not truly a result of our genetics, nor truly a result of our upbringing. Dogs are the same.

The old argument of deed not breed will fall down with XL bullies, because it's not really a breed: it's the result of hundreds of generations of poor breeding and neglect. Often by criminals attempted to make or launder.

Over and over again with (often) the most inappropriate dogs being bred from and resulting in an animal that is neither mentally nor physically sound and which is then (often) placed in a home that - at best! - simply don't understand the animal they have. At worst, neglect or hurt it.

All this in a large and strong body. It's a recipe for distaster. I'm not sure we could have dreamt up a more reliable way to turn out hundreds of unsound dogs, if we'd all tried.

The owners of these creatures are contemptible really; how much their ego matters over the lives of others.

Yes they are often drug dealers or other low lifes. But I think it's totally reasonable to judge anyone with one. It's got a mouth that can crush a child's skull with one bite.

The men who came to help were so so brave

Did you read beyond the first two paragraphs of my post?

Seemingly not.

I do actually agree with this, but it's completely impossible politically. Restricting dog ownership like that would be impossible to enforce. If you tried to charge people £2,000 a year to own a dog on top of normal costs, they'd go ballistic. Realistically banning the dogs most likely to rip a child's face off is the only plausible political option.

Thank God. I hope something comes of this and they are banned. Horrible animals that only an imbecile would want to own (and most are owned by imbeciles which is probably also part of the issue).

I love dogs but can't stand any of the big muscley breeds. They're an accident waiting to happen.

People who have these dogs around children, it beggars belief!

I will agree with part of your post; I would welcome a scheme where in order to be allowed to get a dog you have to go through stages.

Stage 1: some theory lessons before you get the dog (e.g. choosing the right breed for your family, how to identify good / bad breeders, dog body language, fundamentals of positive reinforcement training, importance of diet and exercise, etc.

Stage 2: get the dog

Stage 3: practical sessions, tailored towards the age and needs of the dog. This would be anything from standard puppy classes for young pups, to modified versions for adult rescues, through to 1-2-1 behaviourist sessions for rescue dogs with behaviour issues.

The size of the property is a red herring; it is entirely possible to be a crap, lazy dog owner on acres of land. It's also possible to be a particularly assiduous dog owner in a flat. In many ways I'm quite surprised at how little of the house my dog actually uses; there are 9 rooms + the hallway, and he spends 95% of his time in 2 rooms + the garden. Your system also seems to ignore the reality that people do move house, and many good owners make it work in less than ideal circumstances.

As for the pricing of the dog licence, I think you're conflating the "'right' kind of people" with those who have money.

The ability to spend £££ means absolutely nothing when it comes to properly caring for an animal. You'd be better off requiring compulsory insurance for all dogs - especially third party liability insurance.

If new legislation does get introduced, the public are going to have to relied upon to do the 'dobbing in' of all the thousands of these things that have infested this country.

If they had just been dealt with under the DDs as soon as they started appearing, we wouldnt be in this situation now.

And yes, these bastard dogs should have been death with under the DDA because they are pit bull types. XL bully is not an actual breed, it is a made up name to get round the DDA.

I honestly can't see why these powerful, trained for aggression dogs are not covered under whatever law exists to stop people keeping lions and tigers as pets.
The are danger to true pets as well as people.
Owners should be prosecuted, in possession of a lethal weapon, and made liable for vets bills incurred by genuine pet owners. I can't imagine how it would feel to to see a much loved family pet ripped apart in front of you, whilst fearing for your own safety/ life.
Never mind a child. Just unthinkable. Why is this STILL happening?
These dogs are not pets. It's not the dog's fault, but they need to be euthanised, owners and breeders prosecuted.

@PurpleMonkeys great idea with the licensing scheme. Could you come up with something that would actually be workable in a democracy, rather than in North Korea though? I mean, I know the Tories are already intent on electoral suicide but I doubt even they would come up with something that would be this unpopular.

I think this is unlikely to make a difference. If they were enforcing responsible ownership such as breed specific training classes etc they might get somewhere.

Because domestic dogs, unsurprisingly, are not listed in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 - in fact they are specifically included. The list of species that is included makes interesting reading though: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/38

Can scumbag criminals who own these dangerous dogs - who have them to attack others rather than for companionship - be banned (or put down) too?

Gah, specifically excluded!

Yes. If those animals had been PTS and imports properly managed we would not be in this mess.

And btw the element of electoral suicide that this policy would present seems pretty small. How many of these utter lowlifes vote Conservative? It would be popular.

Banning them does nothing unless it's properly enforced.
Part of the allure of pitbulls is that they are a banned breed and illegal.
It makes them seem even more cool, bad and dangerous to own and ups their value.

The punishment that people face needs to be severe. Really severe or it's a waste of time

I would support a ban AND huge fines for breeders. Jail time is difficult with the court system as it is but an utterly massive fine would put most of the scallies off breeding irresponsibility. And I reckon it would need to cover all bull breeds so they couldn’t wangle their way out of it.

Because owning that kind of dog isn’t a human right. It is entirely fucking selfish and only the realm of the idiotic.

An utterly massive fine comes off your benefits at £5 a week so not really

@Sarvanga38 that list also doesn't include the 'very many life-changing injuries and animals that are killed' by any other breed either.

@misssunshine4040

There must be a way to increase the inconvenience on that. Ban of breeding with threatened jail time and automatic community service too. So money, jail threat and eating up free time. There has to be something that is enough to make these people think twice.

I think if your dog kill someone it should be manslaughter and jail time. And I would argue that anyone who is breeding these dogs is committing animal cruelty by default- bringing a dog into the world who has no place here and is only trying to act on instinct and putting other animals and people in danger. The sheer number of other dog killed by XL Bullies is horrific.