Police seize 88 XL Bullies in first year of breed ban

South Wales Police have revealed that 88 XL Bully dogs have been seized during the first year of legislation covering ownership and registration of the breed. 🐕‍🦺

The legislation, which has now been in force for 12 months, requires all exempted XL Bully dogs to be neutered, registered, microchipped, kept muzzled and on a lead in public, and have third-party insurance with The Dogs Trust.

Police have visited around 100 properties, executed more than 30 warrants, and launched 36 ongoing investigations for Dangerous Dog Act-related offences since last February.

Chief Inspector Scott Threadgold said: “The legislation came about because there had been a significant increase in fatal and serious attacks nationally by XL Bullies. We will always protect the public from any identified threats and this is our priority. If there are dangerous dogs in our communities, that are showing signs of aggression as well as being illegal by breed, then we will take action.”

He added: “We continue to encourage the public to report these types of dogs. We know the impact on a family and on a wider community of a fatal dog attack is devastating. Therefore, if anyone has information around dangerous or illegal dogs, they should report it to the police. We will take positive action to do anything we can to prevent harm in our communities. Anyone found in possession of these dangerous dogs and not meeting the strict rules could have their dog seized and face prosecution and a criminal record.” ⚖️

More than 1,500 addresses across the South Wales Police force area have been confirmed through DEFRA registration or police intelligence as suspected XL Bully locations.