Was it this stupid woman?
Speaking on BBC Radio Northampton, Dawn Smith from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Northamptonshire, said not enough time had been spent on getting the new law right.
“It has been quite rushed and it is changing all the time,” she said.
“We’re still hopeful that there’ll be a judicial review in mid-January, but that’s after the deadline [for the start of the ban] of 31st December.”
We are incredibly disappointed with the decision to add the XL bully to this law. We, along with our partners at the Dog Control Coalition, want to keep everyone safe - but we believe this is not the best way to do so.
As suspected, the XL bully definition published by the UK Government is incredibly broad and we are extremely concerned about the number of healthy, much-loved dogs that will unnecessarily be swept up in this ban.
For information on XL bullies
For over 32 years, dogs have been judged as ‘dangerous’ based on how they look due to Breed Specific Legislation. That’s thousands of dogs whose behaviour poses no risk to public safety being put to sleep for no reason.
We believe focussing on the type of dog, rather than their individual actions, is a flawed and failing approach. Dog aggression is highly complex, and taking a breed-focused approach is fundamentally flawed.
I don’t know how reliable these statistics are but:
Dog Bite Statistics By Country
UK Dog Bite Statistics
- There are an estimated 12 million dogs in the UK.
- 2 people died from dog bites in 2019.
- Between 2013-2019, 22 people were killed by dogs.
- Hospital admissions due to dog bites rose 17% in 2022. In 2021, 7424 people were admitted to hospital for dog bites. In 2022, 8655 were admitted.
- Around 30 people per day needed to go to hospitals for dog bites between April and November 2022.
- The dog breed is not listed on death certificates in fatal dog attacks.
- A study of fatal dog attacks in Europe between 1995-2016 found that England ranked 4th in the top 5 countries, only behind Hungary, France and Romania.
- Dog attack rates have risen 34% over the last 5 years – in 2018, there were 16,394 reports of out-of-control dogs causing injury. In 2022, this had risen to 21,918.
Why Is The UK Banning American XL Bully Dogs?
American XL Bully dogs are being banned in the UK as they have been involved in a number of high-profile attacks throughout 2023. This includes several deaths and attacks against children.
How Many People Have XL Bullies Killed?
Bully XLs have killed 11 people in the UK since 2021, with a further 3 deaths suspected to have been caused by the breed.
Dog Bite Hospitalisations In The UK
- Hospital admissions from dog bites have risen from 6.34 per 100,000 population in 1998 to 14.99 per 100,000 in 2018, an increase of more than 100%.
- Healthcare costs have also increased – admission costs in 2018 were £25.1 million, with emergency admissions costing £45.7 million.
- Between April-November 2022,
- In the same period, attacks on 0-4 year-olds rose from 565 to 614.
- Attacks on 10-14 year-olds rose from 306 to 378.
- Since November 2021, 15 people have been killed in dog attacks (correct as of May 2023).
So, which are the breeds most likely to bite?
As stated, it’s tricky to deliver a definitive list, as many dog bites may be minor and are never reported to authorities or result in insurance claims. Insurance company Star has, however, come up with a list of dogs most likely to bite, based on figures from Merseyside Police.
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Jack Russell
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
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German Shepard
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Rottweiler
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Siberian Husky
Another insurance company, Many Pets, has also come up with a list, but with plenty of caveats. Its list is based on insurance claims, which may include bites to humans, but could also include fights between dogs, bites or attacks on cats or livestock, or damage to property, for example a dog running in the road and causing a car to swerve and crash.
However, in the 12-month period up to March 28, 2022, it found the dog breeds with the highest ration of third party claims to the number of that breed insured were:
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Lurcher
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Dogue de Bordeaux
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Great Dane
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Belgian Shepherd
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American Bulldog
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Rottweiler
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Hungarian Vizla
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Greyhound
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Large Mongrel
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
But it also said that because larger, more powerful breeds had more potential for damage, it wasn’t surprising that they were more likely to be involved in third-party insurance claims. It did not mean they were the breeds most likely to bite or fight.
Now, that’s a pile of stats … and there are plenty more … 
The obvious conclusion, though, is that dogs bred to be aggressive, small or large, will have that aggression built-in and a “trigger”, intentional or not, will release it. Dog ownership has grown, with aggressive dogs being on the “fashion” list, resulting in a surge in reported dog bite injuries. Obviously, this is cause for concern and needs addressing but few attacks result in deaths, except, it seems, those attacks by Bully XLs. IMO, for that risk alone, the breed needs to be exterminated.
