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The American bully XL dog is to be banned, the prime minister has announced, following the death of a man in a suspected attack.
Rishi Sunak said the dogs were “a danger to our communities” and would be banned by the end of the year.
The man, named as Ian Price, was critically injured by two dogs near Walsall on Thursday and died on Friday.
While many have welcomed the ban, some owners and animal groups said a breed-specific ban would not work.
The prime minister said: “It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it is a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
Mr Sunak said he was ordering work from police and experts to legally define the breed so it can then be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland.
His plan to ban the breed followed an attack on Thursday which led to the death of Mr Price, 52.
A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of dogs dangerously out of control and manslaughter.
Officers spoke to the man on two previous occasions after being called to incidents in the area involving his dogs, police said.
- What is an American bully XL and what happens when a dog breed is banned?
- American bully XL owners speak of heartbreak at ban
Emma Whitfield, whose 10-year-old son Jack Lis who was killed by an American bully XL dog in 2021, told BBC Radio 5 Live she was in “shock” at the announcement.
“I didn’t think I’d get listened to when I got started. I’m lost for words. It’s been a hard fight, to show what these dogs are capable of,” she said.
And Tory peer secretary Lord Baker, who was behind the Dangerous Dogs Act introduced in 1991, told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme he “agreed entirely” with the prime minister’s decision.
The American bully XL was “born to be aggressive and bred to be aggressive,” he said, adding they had “no place in the large dog-loving public of the country”.
How many people die because of dog bites?
By Lucy Gilder, BBC Verify
- Hospital admissions for dog bites have gradually increased over the past 15 years
- In 2022, there were 8,819 admissions to hospital in England with dog bites, compared with 4,699 in 2007
- Ten people in England and Wales died because of dog bite injuries in 2022
- Four dog breeds are banned in the UK: Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiros
- Dogs that share physical characteristics to banned breeds – such as cross breeds – are also banned
- Owning a banned dog can result in an unlimited fine and a prison sentence of up to six months
- In 2022, there were 482 sentences given to owners of dangerously out of control dogs which resulted in an injury to a person in public
The XL is the largest type of the American bully breed and can weigh more than nine stone (60kg), however it is not recognised by the main British dog associations, such as the Kennel Club.
The type has been involved in several high-profile attacks.
A 60-year-old man was arrested earlier this week after an 11-year-old Ana Paun was attacked by an American XL bully and Staffordshire bullterrier cross in Birmingham on Saturday.
Two men who went to her aid were also injured and needed hospital treatment.
That attack sparked a debate on whether the breed should be prohibited, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman saying she was taking urgent advice on the matter.
Coco is ’60kg of love’
On Friday, campaign groups Bully Watch, the Campaign for Evidence Based Regulation of Dangerous Dogs, and Protect Our Pets welcomed the government’s announcement, calling American bully XLs a “clear and present threat to public health”.
Labour also backed the ban but shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said families would be “furious it has taken this long for Rishi Sunak to finally act”.
Downing Street denied the government had “dragged its heels”.
However, some owners and animal groups argued a breed-specific ban was not the solution.
Charlotte Towner, of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, told BBC Newsbeat her American XL bully Coco was “60kg of love” and was the best behaved dog she had ever owned, including being gentle around her 18-month-old daughter.
Fellow XL bully owner Jake Higgs, from Tamworth, in Staffordshire, said the ban was “devastating” and described his dog Bane as having “the temperament of a Labrador”.
He said it was “easy to tarnish all dogs with the same brush… I think we should be looking more at the owner”.
The Dog Control Coalition – a group which includes the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home and the Royal Kennel Club – also questioned the decision, saying the Dangerous Dogs Act had in fact coincided with an increase in dog bites and “the recent deaths show that this approach isn’t working”.
The government must tackle “unscrupulous breeders, who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control”, a spokeswoman said, adding the coalition was “deeply concerned about the lack of data behind this decision”.
Police are recording more offences in which an out-of-control dog causes injury, with a BBC investigation in March finding that almost 22,000 such offences were recorded in 2022. A 34% increase from 16,000 in 2018.
It is unclear exactly how a ban on XL bullies would work, and Downing Street said there had been “no final decision” on what would happen to people who already owned XL bullies when they are banned or whether the dogs would be destroyed.
Any ban would have to come via the Department for Farming, Environment and Rural Affairs. A government source told the BBC the department had already been working on plans to outlaw the type of dog.