Two XL bullies have been seized by the police following house searches in Abergavenny, as reported by Wales Online. Gwent Police’s Monmouthshire Neighbourhood Policing Team announced the seizure of the unregistered XL bullies on their social media page. XL bullies were officially added to the list of banned dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31, 2023. It became illegal to breed, sell, advertise, rehome, or abandon an XL bully from December 31 onwards.
Since February 1, it has been unlawful to own an XL bully without a valid Certificate of Exemption. The ban on owning XL bullies was introduced by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government due to the breed’s involvement in fatalities recorded since 2021. The tragic case of 10-year-old Jack Lis from Caerphilly, who was fatally attacked by an XL bully named Beast in 2021, was cited as a significant reason for the ban.
Emma Whitfield, Jack’s mother, expressed her concerns about the release of the dog’s owner, Brandon Hayden, after serving part of his sentence. It is highlighted that owning an XL Bully in England and Wales requires a Certificate of Exemption, third-party insurance, muzzling, and leash when in public places, failure to comply may lead to police seizing the dog.
Applications for a Certificate of Exemption for XL bullies have closed, with new exemptions now requiring a court order. South Wales Police has urged owners of XL bully dogs without an exemption to contact them urgently. For further guidance on owning XL bully dogs, detailed information can be found on the police website.