CVO urges owners as XL bully exemptions top 30,000

Exemption certificates issued in line with the XL bully ban in England and Wales could outnumber euthanasia compensation claims by as many as 300 to one, government figures suggest.

The picture has emerged amid a final plea for owners who could be affected by the ban to ensure their dogs are registered in time.

But, amid concerns over the ban’s enduring impact on practice workloads, the BVA has renewed its demand for a neutering deadline extension to be applied to younger dogs.

The current system that enables owners to register XL bully dogs is due to close at noon tomorrow (31 January), the day before the ban on owning a non-exempted dog comes into force.

In a statement issued on 25 January, the UK’s CVO, Christine Middlemiss, urged owners who want to keep their dogs not to wait until the last minute to register to do so.

‘Comply’

Dr Middlemiss added: “If you are unsure if your dog is an XL bully or whether any puppies may grow up to be of this dog type, you should comply with the relevant requirements and restrictions.”

Although precise numbers were not disclosed, Defra said that more than 30,000 dogs had been registered to that point under the terms of the ban.

A departmental spokesperson subsequently confirmed that figure does equate to the number of exemption certificates issued.

But the total number of claims submitted for compensation towards the cost of euthanasia was described as “over 100”.

Earlier this month, in published written answers to MPs’ questions, Defra minister Mark Spencer confirmed £12,200 had been spent on euthanasia compensation payments as of 8 January, compared to more than 21,000 ownership exemption applications submitted by the same date.

Scottish measures

Details of the ban’s implications have become clearer just as the Scottish Government confirmed it would replicate the measures north of the border as well.

No implementation timescales were given during a statement at Holyrood on 18 January, as community safety minister Siobhain Brown insisted the measures were “safeguards”, rather than a ban.

But, while opposition parties accused the SNP administration of responding too slowly to the problem, Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn claimed the measures were being rushed through and warned they would not address underlying problems of irresponsible ownership and breeding.

The charity wants tougher measures to be introduced against irresponsible owners, including a lifetime ownership ban for anyone whose dog is involved in an attack.

Solutions

Mr Flynn said: “We need action and solutions that protect the public as well as safeguarding animal welfare, but banning dogs because of the way they look isn’t the answer.

“We do not want to have the same conversation next year about plans to ban yet another type of dog.”

Meanwhile, Defra has again declined to say whether it will adopt a proposal from the BVA to extend the deadline for neutering young XL bully dogs from the end of this year to June 2025 on health grounds.

The idea has also been supported by members of the EFRA select committee, whose chairperson, Sir Robert Goodwill, requested a response by 19 January in a letter to the Government last month.

Due course

A Defra spokesperson said the department would respond “in due course” and claimed they had already provided an extended period for neutering procedures to be completed. But the BVA has pledged to continue pressing for a further extension that it believes will help practice teams as well as protecting dogs’ health.

Junior vice-president Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “The added workload resulting from the XL bully ban is undoubtedly putting the profession under further strain and is likely affecting some practices more than others.

“To ease the situation, we would like to see an extension to the current neutering deadlines.”