An animal charity that rehomes dogs in Cumbria said it will no longer be accepting XL Bully breed dogs.

This comes after nationwide charity the Dogs Trust announced that it will no longer rehome the breed following a number of attacks in the country which led to fatalities.

The government recently announced that the American Bully XL dog breed would be banned by the end of this year.

The ban comes after numerous attacks on people and in September, prime minister Rishi Sunak said the breed is a ‘danger to our communities’.

In a video statement posted to X, which used to be called Twitter, he said the ban was an attempt to ‘stop these attacks and protect the public’.

Earlier this week, Cumberland Council announced that it would be ‘considering options’ regarding the collection of XL Bully dogs as part of its stray dog collection service.

A spokesperson from Cumberland Council said: “Cumberland Council have a statutory duty to collect stray dogs, whilst we are aware that this breed of dog will become a banned breed as of February 2024, we will be working alongside Cumbria Constabulary to consider what the options will be.

“Each stray dog collection is assessed on attendance and in the case the risk is high then assistance is sought from Cumbria Constabulary.”

Some councils, such as Colchester Council, have already made the decision to not collect them before the date when it will become illegal.

The news has been criticised by dog owners, specifically people who own XL Bully dogs, because they are unsure of what they should do with their dogs by the time it becomes illegal to own one.

People are also worried about what will happen to their XL Bully pet after this date.

On the topic of rehoming these dogs, a spokesperson from Oak Tree Animals' Charity near Carlisle said: “We have a duty of care to our adopters and, with the planned government changes in legislation to ban the American XL Bully in 2024 under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act, Oak Tree is reluctantly no longer able to accept for intake or rehome American XL Bully types.

“However, we recognise that many XL Bully owners are concerned about what the ban may mean for their much-loved pet and Oak Tree can offer advice and guidance regarding the exemption process, muzzle training and limited neutering support to owners in need.

“Please contact ask@oaktreeanimals.org.uk for more information and advice if you are affected by this and would like some support."