XL Bully Breeds
There are a lot of controls and requirements in place around XL Bully type breeds, the following sets out the current legislation.
There are now 5 banned dog breeds, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero and XL Bully.
You cannot sell, abandon, giveaway or breed an XL Bully and an XL Bully cannot be in public without a lead and muzzle.
After discussions with our insurance provider and assessing the risk we have decided to continue to provide overnight boarding for deemed XL Bully dogs, however under strict rules and requirements. We do not provide day boarding.
We will continue to review this and if deemed necessary we may stop boarding XL Bullies in the future, please bare with us while we are getting used to the requirements as the check in process may take longer for some dogs.
XL Bully Breed:
Unfortunately, XL Bully is not actually a recognised breed, it is a crossbreed. This means it isn’t as simple as banning the breed. The government has created its own specifications for the breed, this includes size of their head and muzzle, build, height and length of their body. Breed name, genetics and parentage are not considered. We have provided a link to the document for those wishing to review this.
This means that any dog which meets the specifications may be deemed an XL Bully regardless of the breed name. The main specification being the height requirement and having a number of other physical characteristics, these include but are not limited to:
- General Impression
- Head size
- Teeth
- Neck
- Body build
- Tail
- Coat
This means similar breeds to the XL Bully, such as the American Bulldog, may be deemed to be an XL Bully under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Even though it was never bought or bred as an XL Bully.
While a dog is in our care, we are as liable as the owner of the dog. Therefore, we have to assess the dogs on arrival and if they are deemed to sufficiently meet the specifications set out for an XL Bully we will apply the XL Bully requirements. If you are unsure if your dog meets these requirements, please review the link provided and seek a professional opinion e.g. a vet may be able to assist or help further with the guidance. We may ask for evidence from your vet (if they have provided an opinion) or the dogs registration documents if we believe your dog sufficiently meets the specifications of an XL Bully, but you do not. This is purely to cover us and to ensure we are applying the correct rules when needed.
If you are unable to provide proof that your dog is not an XL Bully and we think your dog may be classed as an XL Bully, we will decline to board your dog.
XL Bully Requirements:
If your dog is deemed to be an XL Bully then strict rules, requirements and controls are needed to be in place.
From 1st January 2024 all deemed XL Bully dogs must be muzzled and on a lead in public, this includes business premises.
From 1st February 2024 it will be a criminal offence to own a deemed XL Bully unless your dog has a Certificate of Exemption from DEFRA. You must also;
- continue to keep your dog on a lead in public and muzzled
- the owner must be over 16 years old
- microchipped
- hold third party public liability insurance
- the dog must be neutered
- keep your dog in a secure place to prevent escape
For overnight boarding we will require;
- A copy of your Certificate of Exemption
- A copy of your owner public liability insurance
- An additional £7 per day fee shall be charged to cover the additional insurance, additional staffing and due to alone walking requirements.
When in our care we have strict requirements in place, this includes additional security on the kennel doors, no public will be allowed in the kennel area where these are kept, they will be muzzled when leaving the kennel and only handled by highly trained staff. We can remove the lead and muzzle in our secure compound area or secure dog run while no other dogs are in the area, this will be done when we are closed to the public. Therefore, you may see photos of XL Bully dogs in our care off the lead and unmuzzled, this will be done in a secure and controlled environment.
Please also note that if you have more than one dog and only one of them is an XL Bully, they cannot be housed or exercised together. XL Bullies have to be kept separate from any other non XL Bully whilst in our care, even if they are from the same household.
This is out of our control and we can only apply the rules the government has provided. We could have applied a restriction on all boarding for XL Bullies, however we are trying our best to accommodate where we can and to keep boarding the breed. If you have any questions please email us or arrange an appointment to call in.
