XL Bully owners walk dogs unmuzzled hours before first ban comes into force
XL Bully owners have been seen gathering on a UK seafront with their dogs unmuzzled just hours before the first set of restrictions come into place.
The hounds were pictured leashed but without any further restraints at a demonstration in Margate, Kent, on Saturday. More than 30 of the volatile breed, which have been linked to numerous attacks on Brits in recent months, gathered with their owners on the town's promenade as a 'final walk' with the hounds unmuzzled.
Rishi Sunak announced in September that the XL Bully would become the fifth banned dog breed in the UK following the fatal attack on Ian Price in Stonnall, Staffordshire. From today (New Year's Eve), it's illegal to sell, give away, breed or abandon the dogs.
Meanwhile, owners must register their XL Bullies and ensure they're fully muzzled and leashed in public by the end of January. Many XL Bully owners have hit back at the Bill, claiming that banning the breed wasn't the answer and blaming attacks on irresponsible owners.
The gathering in Margate was organised by group Paws4Play, with organiser Dannii Howe claiming it was designed as a last chance saloon for the dogs to meet and play with one another, insisting it was not a demonstration.
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Posting on Facebook, said: "Lots of dogs don't know what a muzzle is and don't often come into contact with dogs that have muzzles on. This can cause a little confusion and some dogs can be a little scared or intimidated by such a strange new thing."
Speaking after the event Ms Howe added that she had a "great time", adding that she wasn't expecting so many to turn up. "Our dogs will have to be muzzled and on a lead of course but whatever keeps them safe is good by me." Organisers for the event banned any dogs which were deemed "reactive" or currently in season.
Owner Laura Sullivan said she was in "fat head heaven" at the event. She told MailOnline: "This just goes to show the difference in these amazing dogs and why this ban is so b****y flawed." She added: "The love was immense for these beautiful innocent souls and their families. My heart breaks for you all."
The event came as it emerged that nearly 2,000 applications were made for their XL Bullies to be exempt in the first week after opening. Owners must apply by the end of January, and pay insurance, neuter their pet and pay a £92.40 fee. Freedom of Information figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) showed there were 1,846 applications in the week of November 14, 349 of which were approved, reports The i.
The government claims that more than 6,000 have been approved to date, although it's estimated there are at least around 10,000 XL Bullies in England and Wales alone. MPs have already expressed concerns about how the ban will be enforced.
Members on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee have written to Defra expressing 'significant concerns' about the ability of 'frontline workers, including the veterinary sector, police and local authorities' to cope with enforcing bans and putting dogs to sleep.
The RSPCA has also said the ban will place huge burdens on dog shelters, many of which are already under increasing pressure with rising numbers of abandoned pets and dwindling rates of people willing to re-home them. Samantha Gaines, dog welfare expert at the charity, said: "What is really concerning is because the ban has come in at such a pace that there may be owners who are not ready for this, being able to ensure their dog is happy wearing a muzzle.
"There is some fear that people for whatever reason may have left it a bit late and about what that means." She added: "Breed is not a good or reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour. Whether or not a dog goes on to use aggressive behaviour depends on how they've been bred, how they've been raised, their life experiences."
Dr Gaines said that current laws should instead be used more effectively to target those exploiting the breed's tendency to attack, claiming the ban would give many people a false sense of security "when really we have to tackle root causes" of dog attacks. In a statement announcing the ban in September, the PM said: "It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs. It's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on."
The ban follows months of campaigning from The Mirror calling for action on danger dogs and the rising rate of attacks on members of the public. The Time For Action campaign has been backed by the likes of Emma Whitfield, whose 10-year-old son Jack Lis was killed by an XL Bully.
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