Bully XL Restrictions are in Place, but Does the Legislation have Teeth?
Lewis Burns
(Image Credit: Megan Dujardin, Unsplash)
Hamilton, and then Bothwell, and just last week, East Kilbride; after a series of vicious attacks by Bully XLs, the Scottish Government has stepped in. Muzzles, leads, and chips are now mandatory, breeding and abandonment are banned, and if you want to keep your mutt, you must apply for an exemption certificate before the 31st of July.
The bully XL breed has been the subject of an intense culture war across the UK. The breed, a massive kind of American bully dog, has been responsible for several horrific attacks in Britain. As calls for stronger restrictions intensify, so too has protests demanding the UK government stop their “persecution” of the breed. When a ban on the breed was proposed in Scotland a few months back, it ignited large protests in Glasgow, with signs on full display pleading the Scottish government to stop “bullying” their breed. These protests are virtually identical to the protests which took place in London and greater England- a lot of owners are adamant of the bully XL’s safety and their rights to own the breed.
The UK and Scottish Government have been far from sympathetic however. Rishi Sunak pressed ahead with the ban on unlicensed bullies, calling the breed a “threat to our communities”. When an influx of XL owners attempted to re-house their dogs north of the border in hopes of evading the ban, Yousaf replicated the UK ban, calling the attempts to dump bullies in Scotland an “unacceptable risk to public safety and animal welfare.”
The breed has been responsible for several horrific attacks in Scotland. Last week in East Kilbride, an out of control XL bully had to be shot by police after it went manic and injured three people. The owner, a young Scot, has been reported in connection with offences relating to the Dangerous Dog Act. This is only the latest in a long series of horrific attacks that have occurred in Scotland and across the UK, some of which became fatal. Since 2021, eleven people have been killed by bully XLs, making them responsible for around half of all fatal dog attacks in the UK.
The hope now, is that with stronger restrictions now in place, and more on the way, bully attacks will decrease, and we will see fears of the breed begin to simmer. But several campaigners and animal charities fear that the legislation is misguided and not strong enough. One difficult consideration is the unspecific definition of the breed itself. Technically, the Bully XL is not a breed that is officially recognised, they are, after all, simply a large form of the American Bully- this may make legislation difficult to enforce. There’s also the question over the legislation's strength. Several campaigners have insisted that this legislation does not go far enough to protect the public. Remember, this is not a ban on all bully XLs, simply on unlicensed, unchipped and unmuzzled dogs. Campaigners believe it is simply too easy to acquire an exemption certificate, and that an outright ban on the breed may still be necessary for ensuring public safety.
Either way, both the Scottish and UK government are dead set on ending the surge of dog attacks that have plagued the country. The legislation in place may still need tweaking, but we may be seeing a path being built towards a safer, more peaceful, Scotland.