American XL bully dogs are now an officially banned breed in England and Wales – with an exact date revealed for when it will become a criminal offence to own one.
From 1 February 2024 it will be a criminal offence to own one unless owners have successfully applied for it to be exempt in England and Wales.
It comes just over a month after Rishi Sunak announced a crackdown on the breed.
In a video announcement posted to X, formerly Twitter, on September 15, the Prime Minister said the breed would be banned due to a ‘pattern of behaviour’ that ‘cannot go on’.
Fatal dog attacks are on the rise, with seven already this year, compared to ten in 2022 and just five in 2021.
There are believed to be a few thousand of the breed in the UK but have been tied to an increasing share of fatal attacks: two out of four in 2021, six out of ten in 2022 and at least four out of six so far this year.
