17 Jun 2024
Only one-quarter of all pet owners think adding the dog type to the list of banned breeds will be effective in protecting the public.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
The number of XL bully dogs in the UK could be seven times higher than previously thought – while the country might have 12,000 dogs of another breed that has been outlawed for three decades.
Only one-quarter of all pet owners think adding the XL bully to the list of banned breeds will be effective in protecting the public, and many more are confused about how the dog type is defined.
Findings in the 2024 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report are the first to reflect legislation that began rolling out across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from January this year.
In the extensive survey of the UK’s pet population, 0.69% of dog owners chose to identify their dog as “XL bully” or “bully” – the equivalent of 73,000 animals nationally. The Government had previously estimated 10,000 XL bully dogs were in England and Wales.
However, when owners were asked if they thought their animal was an XL bully under the Government definition, 2.12% of owners – equating to 220,000 dogs – said it was, while 3.16% said it could be considered one but should not be.
The report said: “There appears to be a significant proportion of owners who are struggling to understand whether their dog is now a banned breed.”
A total of 0.11% of owners said they owned an American pit bull terrier, even though the breed has been banned in the UK since 1991. This equated to 12,000 dogs.
The report highlights confusion about whether bully legislation, brought in following a rise in incidents and deaths, will be effective.
Only 28% of respondents thought the public would be safer with the legislation, while 65% said they thought bully dogs would have to be muzzled in public at all times. A total of 11% thought the breed would not be seen out and about at all.
Quoted in the report, Samantha Gaines, head of companion animal science and policy at the RSPCA and secretariat of the Dog Control Coalition, said: “The lack of awareness and confusion around the breed ban reflect the experiences of those in the rescue and veterinary sector who have been inundated with requests for help and support since its announcement.
“With the ban yet to be fully implemented in Scotland and Northern Ireland, experiences in England and Wales highlight the urgent need for ongoing support for owners, as well as sufficient time and clear and comprehensive information from governments to help them navigate and adopt this change.”
Elsewhere, the report showed 10.6 million dogs, 10.8 million cats and 800,000 pet rabbits lived in the UK, with the latter still decreasing. Half of all rabbits are still living without a companion.
The proportion of owners requiring pet food from a food bank doubled from 1% to 2% in a year – equating to 340,000 of the nation’s pets.
However, 24% of owners – between them covering 5.4 million pets – said the cost of living had affected how they cared for their pets. The figure was up from 22% in 2023.
In 2024, 15% of dog owners said they used one aversive method for training, with 6% using two, and growing numbers of cat owners reporting behaviour issues.
PDSA director of veterinary services Richard Hooker said: “Sadly, the PAW Report continues to find that many of the welfare concerns highlighted over the past 14 years remain.
“This year, the report highlights concerning dog behaviours, and possible associations with the use of aversive training methods. We also have interesting findings around how cats’ environment and companionship may be affecting unwanted behaviours.
“The veterinary professions and the wider animal welfare community have a vital role to play in using both empathy and evidence-based information to guide owners to help them improve their pet’s well-being.”
The full report launched today (17 June) and is available at PDSA’s website.
