Oak Tree Animals' Charity speaks on 'disappointment' over dog ban

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the ban after recent attacks from the breed on humans.

Sunak said the dog breed is a “danger to our communities” and will be banned by the end of 2023 following a series of attacks.

In a video statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) on September 15, he said: “The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children.

"I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen. Yesterday we saw another suspected XL bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality.

“It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.

“While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public.

“Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts, to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks, with the view to then outlawing it.

“It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast.

“We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.

“These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe.”

This does not mean that they will be culled necessarily, only that owners must comply with a number of regulations to best ensure their safety.

These regulations include being on lead and muzzled in public, while they cannot be walked by anyone under the age of 16.

Dogs must also be microchipped and neutered, while it is mandatory for owners to have third party liability insurance, which can be purchased from the Dog's Trust for £25 a year, and this protects the owner should the dog attack another human or animal.

The news has divided the public, with support being given by those who believe the breed is predisposed to unprovoked attacks more than others, and criticism from owners of the breed who claim there is nothing wrong with them, but rather an issue with training and poor ownership.

Penrith Conservative MP, and vet, Neil Hudson, supported the ban.

Neil Hudson

He said: “Sadly, we have seen a number of horrifying attacks in recent weeks, highlighting the acute danger posed by these powerful and potentially aggressive animals.

“It is therefore only right that, in the interest of public safety, and the safety of other dogs, we look further at adding the American XL bully to the Dangerous Dogs Act and banning the breed.

"I have triggered an urgent EFRA Committee session on the issue, in the coming weeks, dovetailing with the prime minister and home secretary, to provide the expert analysis needed to enact legislative change.

"There are of course significant considerations to a ban of this kind, including what we do with current populations, so decisions need to be well thought through, but in the long-term, I am keen to enact a holistic model in which both breed and/or deed are considered.

“As a veterinary surgeon this is extremely close to my heart so I will continue to monitor the issue closely alongside ministerial colleagues to ensure this country remains a beacon for animal welfare and keeping people safe"

The News & Star contacted Carrie Morgan, a dog trainer and owner of Penrith dog park Welly and Tails, for her thoughts on the ban.

Carrie Morgan (Image: Carrie Morgan)

She said: "It’s quite a knee-jerk reaction to what has happened, and that alone won’t solve all the issues that we’ve seen lately with the number of attacks.

"But there are quite a few things that owners of American XL bullies should be doing now to get ahead of it.

"I really feel for the owners that are going to comply with these restrictions are more than likely not the owners whom the ban needs to target.

"Bullies are really powerful dogs, it’s not that they’re more aggressive, it’s just that when they do attack, they do more damage.

“There are certain breeding lines in some American bullies’ ancestry that have traits for people-directed aggression.

“It’s a mixture of poor breeders and poor owners. I have a large dog of a similar size to a bully and it's very upsetting. Training and how you raise your dog only account for half of it.

"You cannot deny the genetics of the dog. Responsible owners are paying the price for poor breeding."

Carrie, who is also studying to become a dog behaviourist, is considering offering free muzzle training to the people of Penrith and Carlisle, to ensure that American XL bully owners are well-prepared for when the ban does come into place.

Oak Tree Animals’ Charity, based in Carlisle, said it is following the ban with ‘interest and some disappointment’.

A spokesperson from the charity said: “Simply banning a breed, particularly one that is yet to be defined, is unlikely to have the far-reaching consequences intended by the government’s announcement.

“Judging a dog based on its looks alone, rather than looking at the individual, has not worked in the 32 years since the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced, with hospitalisation and fatal dog attacks having risen during this time.

“Between 1999 and 2019 the number of hospital admissions due to dog bites increased by over 154 per cent.”

Oak Tree’s patron, Baroness Fookes, a former Conservative MP, who introduced the original Dangerous Dogs Act in the 90s, said: “I suggest (the Prime Minister) should be more radical when looking at the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Baroness Fookes (Image: Parliament)

“It is time that it was sent to the knacker’s yard and a new system instituted altogether.

“I say this with some regret because I was the one who introduced it in (the Commons) in the first place.”

Dog bites are multi-factorial with breed disposition only playing a small part. Other considerations include breeding practices, owner behaviour and responsibility, training, early socialisation and husbandry.

Caroline Yon, head of animal welfare at th charity, said: “We agree that changes need to be made to the act to prevent some of the horrific incidents we have seen relating to dog bites and dog attacks.

XL bully (Image: Getty)

“However, we believe that this should not be a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction.

“We have a real opportunity for more robust legislation that tackles the various contributory factors to dog bites.

“This includes a clamp down on irresponsible owners, corrupt breeders and an unregulated dog training industry.

“Whilst we appreciate that there is a call for swift action to prevent such attacks from happening again, we would hope that time is taken to examine the fundamental, underlying reasons behind the recent spate of dog bites and to produce comprehensive legislation addressing all of those reasons equally.”