Banned breed – XL Bully (Image: Getty)
Police have seized over 4,500 suspected banned dogs since the ban on owning deadly XL Bully’s came into force almost a year ago.
But cash-strapped forces say implementing the ban has come at huge expense with a 500% increase in police costs for dealing with dangerous dogs expected by end of financial year.
Across England and Wales officers seized and euthanised 848 dogs between February and September 2024 at an estimated cost of £340K. These were dogs which were surrendered to police by owners who had not complied with the ban, nor taken advantage of the compensation scheme.
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Over the same time period 4,586 suspected S1 dogs were seized with owners and breeders now facing criminal convictions, fines and imprisonment for being in possession of these illegal types of dog.
Since the start of the XL Bully ban police services have increased kennel capacity by a third.
It can cost up to £1,000 a month to keep dogs in kennels and with up to an 18-month lead in time for court cases chief constables fear both kennel demand and expenditure problems will become even more acute.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council say they are aware of court cases now not being scheduled until mid-2026 for some dangerously out of control cases.
Meanwhile police officer overtime bill for forces to deal with the extra work between February 2024 and September 2024 tops £560,000.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the NPCC lead for dangerous dogs, said: “Since the introduction of the ban on XL Bully dogs police services have had to quickly adapt, taking positive action to respond to thousands of calls from the public and doing everything we can to remove these dangerous dogs from our communities.
“Undoubtedly the ban and our response to it has driven down the number of dog attacks and we are pleased that the public continues to support us by reporting suspected XL Bully dogs in their local area.
“However, the demand has been and continues to be simply huge. We are facing a number of challenges in kennel capacity, resourcing and ever-mounting costs and as of today, we have not received any additional funding to account for this.
“Veterinary bills and the cost of kennelling across policing has risen from £4m in 2018 to currently standing at more than £11m and this is expected to rise to as much as £25m by the end of April 2025. That’s a predicted 500% increase.
“Before the XL Bully ban was introduced there were 120 Dog Liaison Officers across England and Wales, we then trained an additional 100 with a further 40 identified to be trained this coming year. This means that in some areas established dog handlers have been called away from other policing duties. We have had to purchase additional vehicles, equipment and find countless extra kennel spaces from the finite that are available within the industry.
What is the law on XL Bully dogs in England?
Since February 1 last year, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a certificate.
To qualify for an exemption certificate, owners had to prove their XL bully was neutered by June 30.
If the pup was less than a year old by January 31, they must have been neutered by the end of 2024, and evidence must be provided.
As well as neutering their animals, XL bully owners seeking an exemption must also pay an application fee, hold active public liability insurance for their pets and ensure the dogs are microchipped.
People with dangerously out of control dogs can be jailed for 14 years and banned from owning animals, and their pets can be put down.
As well as the XL bully, other banned types of dog include the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) claims the cost of kennelling and veterinary bills alone stands at more than £11million and is expected to breach the £25million mark by the end of the financial year.
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“Policing will uphold the government’s decisions, and we’ll act robustly to do so, but the bigger picture is a focus on responsible dog ownership. People need to be aware of the types of dogs that they’re bringing into their homes and make the right decisions to choose a breed which suits their lifestyle, environment and experience.
“We are also asking for amendments to the existing legislation so we have alternative options to deal with the specific circumstances of a particular case. At the moment, the only option you have is to go to court when someone is in possession of an unregistered XL Bully but we feel there are some situations which could be swiftly dealt with through out of court disposals. For example, there’s potentially a big difference in someone who has unwittingly ended up owning a dog from a young age they weren’t aware was an XL Bully or those who on veterinary advice were unable to have their dog neutered by the deadline versus an individual who is intentionally breeding and selling these dogs.
“At the top end, unscrupulous criminal dealers and breeders need to feel the full weight of the law going to court but alternative methods of out of court disposals would support us in taking a proportionate response as required.
“We will always protect our communities by ensuring these dangerous dogs are dealt with but we urgently need the Government to support us in coping with the huge demand the ban has placed on our ever-stretched resources.
In May a mother was brutally mauled to death when one of her two XL bullies exploded in a deadly rage after she had been begged by relatives to give up keeping the killer beasts as pets
Armed police wielding riot shields raced to the scene after Angeline Mahal’s two sons found her lying lifeless in a pool of blood in her hallway.
It is understood one of the dogs – which were both legally registered – had pounced as Ms Mahal, 50, slept before she escaped the bedroom and collapsed from devastating bite wounds.
The critically injured beautician was found by her sons the following lunchtime at her home in Hornchurch, East London. They desperately tried CPR as they waited for an ambulance but Ms Mahal – known to friends as Angel – is thought to have dead for several hours.
The two snarling beasts were seized by police after being locked in a room and have been taken to specialist kennels for testing before being destroyed.
Angeline Mahal, in her 50s, was fatally attacked at her home in Hornchurch (Image: -)
The daughters of a 68-year-old grandmother mauled to death by XL bully dogs claim the new laws are not properly being enforced amid an increase in attacks.
Esther Martin was killed in Jaywick, Essex, in February in what became the first case charged since legislation on owning the animals came into force two days earlier.
She was attacked by two of the dogs, named in court papers as Beauty and Bear, while visiting her 11-year-old grandson and suffered “unsurvivable” dog bite wounds.
The medical cause of her death was recorded as ‘dog bite wounds to the upper right limb’.
In September, 40-year-old rapper Ashley Warren from Leytonstone, East London, pleaded not guilty to two charges relating to the dogs at Chelmsford Crown Court and a trial has been listed for August.
Essex Police previously said the case was the first to be charged since new laws on owning XL bullies came into force earlier this year.
But Ms Martin’s daughters, Sonia Martin and Kelly Fretwell, say they “don’t think anything has changed since our mum’s death”.
The sisters said that they “regularly” hear about attacks by XL bullies on people and other dogs across media platforms.
The siblings said: “We still see people walking around with these dogs without muzzles. It appears that no one is checking that the dogs are registered until an attack has happened – by then it’s too late.
“Who is checking if owners move or if the dogs are passed around to different owners? We don’t think the laws are being enforced.
“To be honest, we think a different solution is needed, maybe a training programme and behaviour checks on these dogs, so that the law is proactive in identifying dogs that are a danger to humans.”