Tories rule out overhaul of Dangerous Dogs Act despite XL Bully horror deaths
The ban on American Bully XL dogs moved a step closer tonight as Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said the Government was “in a good place” over defining the breed.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last month that the controversial animals, linked to a string of recent fatal attacks, would be outlawed. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss later confirmed existing XLs would not have to be culled but would need to be registered, leashed and muzzled in public, and neutered.
Experts feared making the XL Britain’s fifth banned breed could be hampered by disputes over defining the breed. But Ms Coffey told the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee: “I believe we are in a good place of having agreed a definition. We are pretty close to being able to proceed with the legislation and the guidance that would go alongside that in terms of practical implementation.”
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey (PA)The Mirror is campaigning for an overhaul of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. Four breeds are already banned under schedule one of the legislation. Resisting criticism of the planned ban on XLs, Ms Coffey insisted: “The decision has been made and, of course, that will depend on Parliament passing a vote about adding it to schedule one of the list.”
Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, said animal rescue charities were refusing to accept dogs they believed maybe Bully XLs as the ban looms. She added: “What happens if these XL Bullys, or dogs that are deemed to be XL Bullys, are effectively strays? That’s pretty scary.”
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The Cabinet Minister said the legal overhaul “will allow people to keep their pets”, adding: “We will want to be making sure things like muzzling, being put on leads in public - that’s going to be the principal impact of the legislation. You won’t be able to sell, breed - those sorts of elements.”
She ruled out more studies - despite the RSPCA last week warning the proposed ban was not based on “sound evidence”. Ms Duffield asked about looking at the 1991 Act “as a whole”, telling MPs experts believe the legislation “is not fit for purpose”. But defiant Ms Coffey said: “I’m not intending to review the Act.”
“I don’t think we need to keep gathering more and more data, there’s already significant amounts of data out there,” she said. "We have enough information already, I don’t know that we need to gather more and more things, particularly when it comes to this particular issue.”
She said reasons for delays to the ban included “aspects of compensation”. A task force working on responsible dog ownership is due to report by the end of the year, she added.
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