'Soul destroying': Owner of 18 XL Bullies fears puppies could be put down after UK ban announced
15 September 2023, 15:01 | Updated: 15 September 2023, 15:27
An XL Bully owner fears his 18 puppies are at risk of being put down after a ban on the breed was announced on Friday.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said new laws would be in place by the end of the year, after a spate of attacks.
They'll see XL Bullies added to the Government's list of banned breeds alongside the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.
It comes after a spate of attacks, including a fatal attack on a man in Staffordshire, and viral footage of one of the animals going on a rampage in a street in Birmingham in which an 11-year-old girl was mauled.
But Jamie, from North Lanarkshire in Scotland, has told LBC his own 3-year-old female XL Bully had just given birth to 18 puppies which he'll now struggle to find homes for.
Read more: What does the XL Bully ban mean for dog owners?
He said: "I'm an owner of a female XL Bully who wasn't planned to be bred but my sister's dog - also a Bully - mated with her and resulted in a rather large litter.
"My plan was to neuter her and I actually enquired about it but it was too close to her season.
"We took a lot of precautions to avoid her having contact with other animals. It was only about the fifth week when we thought it was clear that this happened.
It’s clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023
I’ve ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ
"There are now 18 live puppies. This wasn't a financial thing for us, we're now trying to ensure there's a loving home for them.
"It's an excessive litter and we're looking to get as many to long term homes as we can.
"It would be absolutely heartbreaking to have to hand these dogs over to rescue centres - because the chance now of them being put to sleep is soul destroying".
