To think we're about to see an influx of XL Bully attacks after a rehoming free for all?

[SeattleSpacePlane]

So I know the ban is about to come in. Plenty for it, many against it. Not trying to start a debate about that!

Yesterday someone on my FB shared a post from a woman who was offering to rehome an XL to save it before the ban came in. Someone commented with a group for rehoming XLs before it's too late and banned and I clicked on it for a look.

I was absolutely gobsmacked by the posts on the group. Hundreds of posts going back weeks of XLs needing new homes (I suppose expected) - but a VERY high and panicked volume of posts over the past few days, as the ban approaches.

Lots of pictures of dogs with !!URGENT!! rehoming requests. From people asking on behalf of their friend, because their HA just told them XLs are banned under their tenancy, for the XL they just found abandoned behind Tesco, because they bred an XL litter this year and a buyer has just dumped an 8 month old pup back with them. Lots of reasons. Incredibly sad for the dogs, none of this is of their making.

But it's the reaponses. Comments and comments from people offering to rehome an XL to save them. Highlights were 'willing to take one but must be good with children as I have a 5 year old'. 'I wish I could have both but I'm in a flat so one is my limit, please contact me'. 'I have an XL already who is brilliant with the kids, happy to add another poor baby to our pack'.

Dogs are currently being panic-rehomed all over the Country. People are offering their services to transport the XL from Devon to the family in Yorkshire who've agreed to take it. No home checks, no behavioural checks of the dogs, people aren't even meeting the dog they're agreeing to home. Lots and LOTS being shipped to Scotland in particular where there's no ban.

It's truly frightening the amount of people with young dc agreeing to blindly rehome an XL to save them. I wouldn't rehome a bloody Yorkie without meeting the dog first never mind an XL!

This is going to end in tragedy, surely?

AIBU to think the ban on privately rehoming them should have been immediate at point of announcement to prevent this madness? And also that, sadly, we're likely to be reading several tragic stories in the coming weeks about one of these panic-rehomed dogs turning?

Thank you for clarifying that you didn't mean turned on in the usual, widely accepted meaning. I agree that would be extremely silly!!

Not sure it can be said that any dog would rather be mauling someone or another animal, but that's your opinion which is fine. Opinions are just that afterall, otherwise they would be a fact 😊

I can see the reasons for not wanting a load of stray XL bullies running around. But I’d have thought a ‘drop off’ scheme in which the dogs are destroyed and disposed of for free would have been more cost effective and get better take-up.

I don’t think anyone’s said there was a profit in this. I assume the grant is paid after receipts are submitted.

As for numbers, it must be many thousands. I read somewhere that Staffs are the most popular dog in the UK, god help us, and as far as I can see XL Bully owners like them because they’re ’super Staffs’.

Presumably an XL owner moving from Scotland to England will need to comply with law, even if there’s no importation offence in moving. So muzzling and neutering required.

Fighting breeds just carry on attacking regardless

That's what they were bred for. The tenacity is known as gameness and people selectively breed for it in any species used for fighting. Dogs, cockerels, whatever the species, if you're going to bet money on the outcome of animal fights, you need to breed out the poor creatures' natural self-preserving instinct to run away when they're losing the fight.

I hope that staffies aren’t given a bad name by people not knowing the difference between them and an XL bully. I think the chavs and dodgy people tried to have staffies to look hard a while ago but staffies don’t have it in their nature to rip people apart like XL bullies do.
Like a previous poster said staffies are usually small/medium. XL bullies are tanks. They are huge and muscular. They are bred to be dangerous and have the power to do serious damage to any person or other dog if that want, unfortunately they often do as they have irresponsible owners.

I can see the reasons for not wanting a load of stray XL bullies running around. But I’d have thought a ‘drop off’ scheme in which the dogs are destroyed and disposed of for free would have been more cost effective and get better take-up

PTS a healthy animal is very unpleasant for the vets and staff to carry out. Why should they have to do it for free?

The vets would be paid. The owners would get rid of the dog for free.

But why would vets be necessary anyway?

Made the mistake of going down a little Facebook rabbit hole, looking at links and pages for the rehoming stuff. Jeez.

Everyone should report anything that looks vaguely like an xl bully or bully type as much as possible. Anywhere you see them, with addresses and car reg if possible.

This is so important. No blind eyes.

This May out me but fuck it.

A family member has put a big OTT post on Facebook about how their XL Bully has this week been ‘deprived the opportunity of being a mummy, she’d have made a great mum’.

He got this dog from a backyard breeder BTW. SO tempted to comment that when dogs are treated by backyard breeders so badly that ‘being a mummy’ is not an enriching experience for a dog. In fact I think it’s horrific in many ways to rip puppies from their mums, and even more so when you don’t have a fucking clue how to breed responsibly.

To me this Family member thought when they paid £2000 for their shitbull that they’d make a nice profit breeding and now they’re super annoyed that they can’t

That is probably the reason so many idiots are breeding dogs- a money maker, with zero thought as to inbreeding- It’s thought that XL Bullies have a coefficient of inbreeding of over 40%

The last thing people need are more XL Bullies - ( Or anything From a Back yard breeder or puppy farm.

Rescues are full of Bull breeds and Bull Lurchers

Bitches don’t always give birth easily- A caesarean is stressful for the poor bitch who then has puppies scraping at her abdomen-

And Pits and XL’s have numerically large litters.

I spay my female pets - as do most responsible owners .

Pets are not to be exploited.

Too often the XL type pups are sold far too young, un chipped and un wormed.

Anything to save money and to be untraceable back to the idiots that bred them.

Staffies are generally lovely dogs, much smaller and not given to maulings.
My Whippet shares a bed with a rescued Staffie when we go and stay at his house, and he’s a lovely boy.
Staffies look very different as well, in facial structure.

Absolutely. My NDNs have a little staffy and he's really small, weighs about 13kg, literally a quarter of the size of an XL Bully. Really sweet happy little face as well.

No. I have a life to be getting on with. If you want to waste your time going after Staffies and dogs that are not XL bully but you think they are , then knock yourself out.

I have already had some shitty stares from people when walking my staffie (she’s beautiful of course but not a pedigree so maybe doesn’t look quite like a proper staffie).
Shes harmless and obviously legally doesn’t need to be muzzled. I respect people may be scared so I keep a distance from them if they seem to be.

No please don’t. If you aren’t sure don’t waste their time when they could be enforcing the rules to a dog owner who is really risking the public.

My friend’s rescue one isn’t purebred either- but the Staffie face is SO different to that of an XL Bully
A pitbull face is different again to a Staffie.

The eye shape as well.
Pits and XLB s have much smaller , deeper set eyes than a Staffie and different width across jaw and body is like a 🦛
hippo.

XL’s - once you have seen them in person there is no confusing the type of one is used to “ Looking” at dogs conformation.

I can most definitely tell the difference between a Staffy and a XL Bully and it’s more than a difference in size.

They need putting down. People have bred these dogs for one reason- to be defensive and cause harm.

@SerafinasGoose If people really, truly cared for the humans who lost their lives they would go after the breeders- stop it at the source. They’d lobby the government. They’d contact their M.P, Tweet Rishi. They would not stop until every breeder was held accountable. Every breeder was fined, licensed, made to jump through every damn hoop.

@Boomboom22 you sound borderline hysterical. If the dog is muzzled, on lead and licensed you are wasting police time. If I were you I’d be more worried about what is coming next, who knows you may end on the receiving end.

A drop off scheme?

Where?
Run by whom?
Overseen by whom?

Not by vets, they wouldn't want to be involved in that unless forced to do so.

So by non-veterinary and likely therefore not suitably experienced people, trained by who?

What facility, presumably all over England and Wales - where are such facilities? We don't have local dog slaughterhouses in each town, and each would need significant capacity in case lots turned up at once, what if theres more than can be killed in a day, so a holding facility, a doggy death row. Where would you find that?

And of course if not vets then how exactly are these lay people to euthanise dogs, guns? captive bolt? Does that sound safe or humane?

Why would this government bother when they can let rescues mop up the mess then tell them with next to no notice that they cannot rehome dogs taken in after X date (not sure if thats now the case but it was a few days ago)... and force them to euthanise instead!

Oh wait, thats what they did... and failed to foresee rescues finding a way to fight it with an injunction and rehome dogs elsewhere.

Totally!💯
It’s shape as well and proportions.
A girl locally had a red nosed Pit puppy she said was a “ Staffie “
It was only later she admitted she was a Pit
I didn’t report her as she was very careful with the dog- I made sure to call my dog away when the Pit was playing with her ball.
Haven’t seen her in ages so maybe they moved.

And some people think anything with 'bull' in the name will be under the ban too.
On another thread, one poster said that bull x lurchers will be banned. Totally untrue.

'willing to take one but must be good with children as I have a 5 year old'

🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Might be “good with kids” at its current house, but might rip your 5 year old’s face off you fucking idiot 😡.

(To the idiot who OP spotted on Facebook and anyone else who has said the same)

i very much doubt the temporary injunction will amount to much.

As for the rest, I neither know nor care. As far as I’m concerned they could employ slaughtermen and use bolt guns.

Why should we dance around about the fates of these appalling dogs? This is much closer to a cull of rabid dogs than the unwelcome destruction of an ailing pet.

Why do you say “doggy death row”? Is that some sort of comparison with men and women waiting for execution? Really?

This is playing with stats to suit your opinion.

OF COURSE there are a lot more dog BITES from dogs that are not XLB's - There are a lot more dogs that aren't XLs than are!

The point is, if a spaniel goes for you, you might have a nasty puncture wound. If an XL turns on you, YOU'RE DEAD!

They are simply too big and too powerful to be controlled by owners and it's just not OK to keep allowing them to kill people or other animals.