Chief vet’s fear at outset of Scotland XL bully ban

A senior charity vet is worried some XL bully dogs may end up being euthanised in Scotland because of attempts to evade existing legislation in England and Wales.

SSPCA chief vet Ian Futter has demanded “fundamental change” to dog laws, warning the new rules could also exacerbate existing mental health challenges within the veterinary and rescue sectors.

His comments came as the first wave of restrictions on XL bullies in Scotland, preventing their sale, advertising, exchanging or gifting, came into force on 23 February.

Owners are also required to keep their dogs on a lead and muzzled when in public, while a ban on ownership of non-exempted dogs is due to be enforced from 1 August.

Dr Futter said he had “no reason to disbelieve” the Scottish Government’s insistence that the ban did not h1erald a wider change to its “deed, not breed” approach to canine legislation.

Acknowledged

But he acknowledged that the measures had been made more difficult to accept by reports of dogs being moved across the border from England and Wales.

He added: “We are fearful that some dogs will be presented for euthanasia in Scotland where they wouldn’t have been before.”

The SSPCA is a long-standing opponent of breed specific legislation and criticised the Scottish Government’s decision to act when it was announced last month.

In a new intervention, released to coincide with the first phase of the Scottish ban’s implementation, Dr Futter said it was “an undisputed fact that XL bullies have killed people”.

But he went on to highlight the example of a dalmatian that was euthanised after biting a child’s face as he argued that the law should deal with the potential causes of aggression in any dog.

He wrote: “When dogs, including XL bullies, are bred and reared poorly, and denied training, socialisation and good care, aggression becomes more likely. That’s what needs tackling.”

Transfer to other breeds

Dr Futter also echoed the concerns raised by other leading figures in the profession about the prospect of the current XL bully problem being transferred to other breeds in the future and pleaded for consideration of the ban’s impact on veterinary and welfare sector workers.

He said: “We cannot and should not keep adding dogs to the banned list – it just isn’t fair to anyone.

“Instead, we need a fundamental change to the law on dogs acting dangerously to protect the public now and in the future.

“And right now – today, tomorrow, in six months’ time, and next year – we need to be kind to each other.

“There are going to be a lot of sad vets, owners and rescue centre teams throughout the UK. This isn’t going to help today’s worsening veterinary mental health crisis.”

Although opposition parties have accused them of acting too slowly on the issue, the SNP administration maintains it was forced to act because of the “unacceptable risk” posed by dogs being moved because of the UK Government’s decision to press ahead with a ban.

Prepare

It urged owners to prepare for the new measures and community safety minister Siobhain Brown said: “Whilst dog attacks remain a rare occurrence, where they do occur, they can have devastating consequences which is why safeguards must be introduced.

“We are doing so whilst ensuring we promote and support responsible ownership, and public safety as effectively as possible.”

However, the possibility of a new court battle has been raised after the Don’t Ban Me Licence Me group revealed it is also working with Scottish campaigners.

While it has mounted a legal challenge to the ban in England and Wales, a separate case would have to be brought in Scotland under its separate legal system.