Campaign group ‘deeply disappointed’ after XL bully ruling

Campaigners say they fear more tragedies will happen after their bid to overturn the ban on XL bully dogs in England and Wales was dismissed by the High Court.

The Don’t Ban Me Licence Me group’s application for judicial review was rejected yesterday (17 December), despite breaches of equality legislation being identified in aspects of the ban’s implementation.

The ruling has been welcomed by Defra, which has repeatedly maintained the measures in England were necessary on public safety grounds.

But critics of its approach have warned their fight for reform of what they regard as ineffective legislation will go on.

‘Deeply disappointed’

Don’t Ban Me founder Sophie Coulthard said: “We are deeply disappointed for those who have stood with us throughout this campaign, who agree that what’s needed is thoughtful legislation that prioritises animal welfare and promotes responsible ownership.

“The public has been misled into believing that a ban will resolve the issue of rising dog attacks in the UK.

“Unfortunately, we foresee a continued increase in poor dog ownership practices, and with it, more bites and tragic fatalities because the Government has failed to address the root cause. They are missing the mark on tackling the real problem.”

Impact

She added: “The ban continues to impact dogs and their owners, whose lives have been tipped upside down over the last year.

“We don’t know what our next steps are as a grassroots campaign group, but we hope to continue to educate and advocate for dogs and for a better solution.”

Ms Coulthard said she could not comment on whether the group would seek to appeal against the ruling until discussions take place with its legal team.

‘Robust evidence’

But its stance against the ban was praised by the RSPCA’s dog control lead, Dr Samantha Gaines.

She said: “We will continue to call for this approach to dog control to be reviewed and replaced.

“To make a real difference to public safety and properly protect dog welfare, we need a complex approach which is backed by robust evidence.”

However, a Defra spokesperson said: “We are pleased to see the court has upheld the decision to add the XL bully to the list of breeds prohibited by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

“These measures are vital to protect the public and we expect all XL bully owners to comply with the conditions.”