11 Sept 2023
The Dog Control Coalition has reiterated its opposition to breed-based legislation, after Suella Braverman revealed she had ordered “urgent advice” on banning the XL bully.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Suella Braverman by UK Parliament (CC BY 3.0). Cropped from original.
Veterinary and welfare groups have warned moves to ban the XL bully breed won’t protect the public, despite the home secretary, Suella Braverman, ordering “urgent advice” on the issue.
The latest intervention follows the circulation of footage showing an attack in Birmingham at the weekend, in which three people, including an 11-year-old girl, were injured.
West Midlands Police today said the dog involved was a bully XL/Staffordshire bull terrier puppy and is now being held in secure kennels following veterinary treatment for heat exhaustion.
But writing in response to the incident on X, formerly Twitter, yesterday, Ms Braverman said: “This is appalling. The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children.
“We can’t go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.”
Although her comments have attracted support online, campaigners for tighter controls have criticised the Government for not acting sooner. Some MPs and senior police officers have also called for a ban.
However, the Dog Control Coalition, of which the BVA is a member, said any moves to extend the current list of banned breeds would not work.
In a statement this afternoon, the group said: “The increased popularity of American XL bullies has made them valuable commodities, resulting in irresponsible breeding, rearing and ownership.
“However, the solution to the concerning number of dog bite incidents and fatalities is not to ban this or any other breed of dog, because a ban would not effectively protect the public.
“Thirty-two years of the Dangerous Dogs Act, with its focus on banning specific types, coupled with increasing cases of dog bite incidents, shows how ineffective this approach is.
“Instead, the Government needs to focus on the improvement and enforcement of current breeding and dog control regulations, and on promoting responsible dog ownership and training.”
Ms Braverman’s intervention also appears to contradict a written answer provided by the Defra minister Lord Benyon last month, in which he said there were “no plans” to extend the current banned breed list.
The department has declined to indicate whether its position has changed in light of the comments, though a spokesperson said: “We take dog attacks and antisocial behaviour very seriously and are making sure the full force of the law is being applied.”
