Many people celebrated the coming of the new year; however, for XL Bully owners in England and Wales, it was most certainly not a “Happy New Year.”
On December 31st, it became illegal to sell, re-home, breed, and abandon XL Pitbulls in England and Wales. On February 1st, it will be considered a criminal offense to own an XL Bully. Bully owners may apply for a certificate of exemption in order to keep their dogs, but even then the owners and Bullies must adhere to strict rules such as always keeping Bullies on a lead and muzzled when in public. All XL Bullies must also be micro-chipped, and neutered. Those who choose not to apply for exemption will have until January 31st to euthanize their Bullies in order to collect £200 in compensation. Although there is no news of this ban expanding to the U.S., it will reportedly be put into effect in Scotland.
In the UK, an XL Bully is not a registered breed, and is a dog that has been bred from several different breeds. Generally, Bullies are large dogs with “blocky” heads and muscular bodies.
UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the ban after an increase in reported attacks and deaths caused by XL Pitbulls.
“These dogs are dangerous,” said Sunak. “I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe.”
Although it is perfectly acceptable to want the public to be safe, an entire breed should not be punished for the actions of a few misguided dogs. Most times, it is the owner and not the breed that is the problem. If owners are gentle with their Bullies and make sure to train them well, then they will likely behave themselves and not turn out violent.
“I love Pitbulls, and I think they are a great breed,” said social studies teacher Lauren Foster. “It’s all about how you train dogs, and it just seems unfair to ban a whole breed of dog.”
Bullies are often perceived as violent dogs because of their muscular, and somewhat menacing build. However, the truth is that Bullies are loving dogs, just like any other breed.
“Mine is very loving and very hyper,” said Pitbull owner Wayne Buchanan. “They aren’t that violent.”
While wanting regulations for the dogs is understandable, it is unfair that only one breed must follow the new regulations put in place.
“I definitely think there should be regulations, and all dogs should probably be on leashes in certain areas,” said Foster. “You should probably have a trained dog if you’re going to take it off the leash, but it seems unfair to me to ban a whole breed of dog. I just really don’t understand that.”
Some may argue that the safety of the public is more important than the lives of thousands of dogs, that the lives of humans are worth more than a dog’s. These people do not understand that dogs are family too, and that they need to be loved and protected as well. Many owners may also depend on their dogs for emotional support or even physical support for those Pitbulls that are service dogs.
“It’s not fair because of the fact that you might be taking away someone’s only emotional support animal,” said Buchanan. “People need their dogs to give them comfort, so you can’t just take the Pitbulls away from the families that love them.”
Clearly XL Pitbulls deserve to live and be protected, and the ban condemning these innocent dogs is not only unfair, but also entirely unethical.
“Pitbulls are great,” said Foster. “All Pitbulls, all pitties, all terriers, they’re great dogs. Don’t ban them. Give them a chance.”
