XL Bully rescue stuck with eight puppies after dog gives birth out of nowhere

19 February 2024 , 11:09

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One of the XL Bully puppies (Image: SWNS)

A dog lover has found herself in a tricky situation after the XL Bully she rescued last year gave birth to a surprise litter of eight pups.

The 43-year-old woman, who has decided not to share her name, took Brandy, an XL Bully dog into her care in November 2023. Then, seven weeks ago, little Brandy surprised everyone by having ten puppies all at once. Sadly, only eight of them survived the birth.

Now this dedicated pet owner faces a huge challenge. She says she hadn't planned for all the extra costs that come with having lots of new puppies, like food and vet bills. The owner admits she's at her "wits' end" because the new laws mean she can't even sell or give away any of them.

She said: "We are really at our wits' end because we cannot keep them for much longer like this together, as they will develop a pack mentality and just become too much of a handful for us." And she reminded people that they didn't know what was going to happen when they took Brandy in."

The woman says she does not want anything bad happening to the brother and sister pups. She added: "We're dog lovers and we just couldn't bear to get them put down." She feels very stuck because every time she tries to get help or advice, she hits a brick wall. The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has set up the Dogs Index which they say I must contact but the line is constantly engaged and they have not responded to my emails."

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The owner said she had "no idea" Brandy was pregnant (SWNS)

Brandy surprised everyone by having ten puppies all at once (SWNS)

She also admitted she had "no idea" the female dog was pregnant. Seven weeks ago, Brandy surprised them by giving birth to 10 puppies, with eight surviving. She explained: "When she kept getting fatter despite watching her diet, we took her to a vet, who told us she was pregnant.

"It was a huge shock and we probably wouldn't have taken her in had we known. We helped deliver them all ourselves and they are adorable," the owner shared. But now we are at a complete loss about what to do because we could never have them put down."

As the puppies grow, they're becoming more lively and demanding each day. She added: "They are little balls of energy and fun and, like their, mum, just very friendly and loveable. We believe the problem around XL Bullies is not the dogs, but their owners they are the ones who should be vetted to see if they are suitably responsible."

New laws mean that XL Bully owners must get exemption certificates to keep their dogs, which must be muzzled in public and neutered. These rules also stop anyone from selling or even giving away these dogs, with harsh punishments for those who break the rules. It is causing a big problem for the puppies' owner, who is finding them increasingly difficult and expensive to look after.

Only eight of the puppies survived the birth (SWNS)

Nearly £5,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe page to help with the costs of exempting puppies and their care, which includes a big £100-a-week food bill. But now, the owner is facing big bills to get the dogs neutered and micro-chipped, as the law says she must, and also for their vaccinations.

The lady tried to seek help from authorities to find a solution but has so far had no luck. She has also had many offers to take the puppies, even from other countries, but she can't send them away because it's not allowed. She explained: "They don't have any laws against XL bullies in Europe so I thought there wouldn't be a problem. But Defra has just told me that we can only take them out of the country for a maximum of 30 days and then they have to be brought back, which is crazy."

The woman, who also has a friendly seven-year-old labrador named Honey, isn't worried about the bullies being mean.

She said: "Brandy is even nicer [than Honey] and we trust her completely with our children," she shared. "Just like all dogs, if you raise them well and treat them nicely, they will be good. It's usually not the dog's fault it's when owners don't look after them properly."

The RSPCA, which doesn't think XL bullies should be banned, said the owner must either keep the puppies or sadly, they might have to be put to sleep. A spokesperson said: "We are deeply saddened by tragic incidents involving dogs and we agree that there is an urgent need to provide protection for the public - but banning XL bullies is not the answer."

"Instead, we want to see the UK Government commit to the enforcement and improvement of current breeding and dog control regulations, and to promoting responsible dog ownership and training. Improving the way dogs are bred, controlled and treated throughout their lives is key to preventing dog bite incidents."

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"The ban on XL bullies not only remains devastating for so many dogs, but is also taking a heavy toll on owners, on rescue centre staff who have grown close to dogs in their care, and to veterinary teams who face the prospect of being asked to put to sleep healthy dogs whose behaviour poses no risk."

"There is a huge risk that rescue centres and the veterinary profession will not be able to cope with the demands put on them by this law."

Zahra Khaliq