XL Bully breed welcome at Leeds dog grooming business - despite nationwide ban

07 February 2024 , 15:56

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Nicole and Jamal have owned their business for one year (Image: Nicole Jackson)

A Leeds couple who run a dog grooming business have opened their doors to the banned XL Bully breed. Last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the breed would be banned in Britain following a series of attacks and deaths.

Dog attacks have surged over the past five years, with 10 fatal incidents in the UK last year alone. More than half of these deadly incidents reportedly involved an American XL Bully. Despite this, Nicole Jackson, 26, and Jamal Birch, 28, are welcoming the banned breed into their grooming business.

Nicole, who has co-owned LS RAW GroomingandAccessories with her partner for the past year, said: "We are treating those dogs no different, we don't want owners to have to worry about being able to take their dog to a groomers."

She added: "There is so much hate about XL Bullys everywhere at the moment, but we want to create a normal experience in store for the dogs. We are fully insured for the dogs so they don't have to wear a muzzle. We want to try to help." Nicole also revealed: "We have received so many phone calls from people who have been turned away from other groomers, saying they cant get in, or they won't accept the breed."

Nicole Jackson's Pocket Bully dog (Nicole Jackson)

Nicole, who loves her Pocket Bully dog, said she wants to make things better for banned breeds. She mentioned: "There has been so much trouble and we do understand it, we understand why it is happening. But, there is no need in how harsh it has been... especially with the amount of people who have dogs that are more aggressive than XLs."

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"We just want to do a positive thing. I have my own branded muzzles coming, which will be comfortable for the dogs to wear." Nicole and Jamal also help out at dog shelters and try to support their community as much as they can. Nicole added: "We just want to help as much as we can, it is sad with what is going on." The Blue Cross charity explained the new rules: "The government has added XL bully types to the list of banned dangerous. It's now illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully type dogs to stray in England and Wales."

You should also have a certificate of exemption from the government and comply with additional restrictions including keeping them on a lead and muzzled in public, having them neutered and having third party liability insurance. We know that many XL bully type dogs are much-loved family pets. To keep them from being seized, you'll need to make sure"

Zahra Khaliq