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Police forces, vets and local authorities may not be ready for the ban on XL Bully dogs which comes into effect within days, new evidence has revealed.
Official figures released by the Government under a Freedom of Information request shows that there were nearly 2,000 applications from XL Bully owners for special certificates allowing them to keep their dogs, in the first week of the scheme alone.
At the same time, a cross-party committee of MPs has written to ministers warning of “capacity constraints” among police officers, councils and veterinary practices to deal with the neutering, microchipping and enforcement of thousands of XL Bullies to prepare for the full ban coming into force in just five weeks.
In England and Wales from this Sunday, it will be illegal to sell, abandon, give away or breed an XL Bully dog, or to have one in public without a lead and muzzle.
And from 1 February, 2024, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate. The certificate allows owners to keep the dogs provided they are neutered, microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled in public, and kept in a secure place at home.
Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the FOI request show that in the first week the exemption certificate scheme was open, from 14 November, there were 1,846 applications and 349 were approved.
As of 22 December, 6,395 certificates have been approved, i understands.
The Government estimates there are 10,000 XL Bullies in England and Wales, although the animal charity Blue Cross has suggested the number is closer to 15,000.
MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee have written a letter to Lord Benyon, the minister in charge of the ban, saying that while they supported the policy, they still had “significant concerns” about its introduction.
The committee says it is concerned in particular about “capacity constraints of frontline workers, including the veterinary sector, police and local authorities”.
The high demand for exemption certificates suggests capacity of police forces, local authorities and vets will be severely strained.
There has been a growing shortage of vets in the UK for the past few years.
The Government has advice for XL Bully owners to prepare for the two-stage ban.
From this Sunday 31 December, it will be against the law to sell, abandon or let stray or give away an XL Bully dog. It will also be illegal to breed from an XL Bully and have one in public without a lead and muzzle.
From 1 February, 2024 it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless the dog has a certificate of exemption.
To obtain a certificate of exemption, owners must get third party public liability insurance cover for the dog, neuter the animal permanently and pay £92.40 per dog. Dogs must also be microchipped and kept in a secure place at home. Owners must be over the age of 16 and be able to show the certificate of exemption when asked by a police officer or a council dog warden, either at the time or within five days.
The MPs also warned the minister that “a significant proportion” of vets could refuse to euthanise a healthy animal, as they are entitled to do under their code of conduct.
They have called for a delay on neutering of XL Bullies younger than seven months from the end of January 2024 to June 2025, amid fears that the procedure on dogs younger than that age can cause orthopaedic problems.
Government sources said ministers were aware of wider capacity issues among vets and that the situation was being closely monitored.
There has also been a steady uptake in compensation claims for euthanised dogs and this is expected to increase in January as the full ban draws nearer, sources said.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We have taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from dog attacks by adding the XL Bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act to reduce the risks to the public posed by this type.
“We urge XL Bully owners to take the appropriate action to make sure they comply with new restrictions that come into force this Sunday 31 December, when XL Bully dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
“We also encourage owners to apply for an exemption certificate before the ban comes into force on the 1 February, 2024, and join more than 6,000 owners who have already done so.”
Rishi Sunak announced the ban on XL Bullies after a spate of fatal attacks by the breed.
But in November, i reported experts warning that the Government’s plan to ban the dogs would “collapse” due to a lack of qualified police officers, kennel space and veterinary services.
The RSPCA, Blue Cross and The Kennel Club were among a coalition of organisations with “serious concerns about the very short amount of time” left before the ban.
