Police 'destroy more than 100 XL bullies a month' since the ban

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Police have destroyed more than 100 XL bullies a month since the ban came in a year ago, claims the BBC. The government declared in October 2023 American XL bully dogs were to be added to the list of banned dog breeds.

New rules came into force on December 31. From that date, it was illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.

They must also be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. READ MORE: Baby drowned in bath as mum played a game on her phone in the next room Today, the BBC reported that forces in England and Wales claim the costs of kennelling thousands of seized dogs, often for months at a time, "have risen six fold to £25m a year and many facilities were at capacity." The BBC said 19 police forces in England and Wales responded to a Freedom of Information request revealing that in the first eight months of 2024: "1,991 suspected banned dogs had been seized, up from 283 in the whole of 2023," while "818 dogs had been destroyed, more than double than in 2023".

The BBC said the FOI request also revealed: "Some seized dogs staying in police kennels for months while their breed or type is confirmed".