Full list of UK’s 5 banned breeds as police destroy 100 dangerous dogs a month

Over 100 dangerous dogs have reportedly been destroyed by police on average since were outlawed almost a year ago.

Forces in England and Wales say the costs of keeping thousands of seized dogs in kennels, often for months at a time, have skyrocketed sixfold to £25million a year, reports. Many facilities are now said to be at capacity.

But despite the crackdown on dangerous breeds, in many areas dog attacks appear to be increasing.

Of the 25 police forces that responded to Freedom of Information Act requests (FOI) submitted by the outlet, 22 said they were on course to see a greater number of reported incidents this year.

On December 31 2023, new laws restricting the breeding and sale of and several other types of dogs came into force following a string of high-profile , some of which were fatal.

In February, it became illegal to own dogs of this type, unless the animal had been registered ahead of the deadline.

Dogs registered before the ban came into effect have to be neutered, muzzled when in public and securely kept.

According to the Government’s official guidance: “Your dog must be permanently neutered. Male dogs must be neutered through castration, and female dogs must be spayed.

“An RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon must perform the neutering procedure.”

For young dogs aged between seven and under 12 months, there’s a grace period until December 31 2024, to submit neutering evidence. Dogs younger than seven months have until June 30, 2025.

When the law was introduced, the UK government estimated that there were some 10,000 dogs in England and Wales, but the number has proved to be considerably higher, with over 57,000 of the dogs registered with Defra, as per the outlet.

FOI responses from 19 police forces in England and Wales revealed that in the first eight months this year, 1,991 suspected banned dogs had been seized, a marked increase from the 283 registered in the whole of 2023.

818 dogs had been destroyed, a figure more than double what was seen last year.

Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the National Police Chief Council’s (NPCC) lead for dangerous dogs, said the change in the law had seen significant pressure put on police forces has meant they have had to absorb an “incredible” amount of extra costs.

CC Hobrough said Kennel and veterinary bills had leapt from £4m to £25m, though this didn’t include costs of training staff, buying additional vehicles and equipment.

It also does not account for renting short-term kennels and the wider operational costs of officers handling more dangerous dogs than ever, he argued.

The police chief said the NPCC was putting forward “a strong request” for further government funds to meet the requirements of the ban on .

Defra said the ban on dogs was “an important measure to protect public safety”. The department said it would continue to work with police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to prevent further dog attacks “using the full force of the law where needed”.

The chiefs of England and Wales’ 43 police forces also want a law change that offers officers alternative ways of dealing with people found in possession of dogs classed as dangerous.

Establishing whether a dog is an can be complicated, and requires either outside experts or specialist training, which means dogs can be kept in kennels, racking up costs for a long time.

Government guidance defines as a “type” of dog as they’re not a Kennel Club-recognised breed, describing them as large dogs “with a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for [their] size”.

Full list of dog breeds banned in Britain

• XL bully
• Pit bull terrier
• Japanese Tosa
• Doga Argentino
• Fila Braziliero