Lancashire dog breeder Lauren Hall hits out at plans to ban XL Bullies under Dangerous Dog Act

Lauren Hall has bred XL Bully’s for years and says she has never had concerns about their behaviour.

She now breeds the dogs which are to be banned by the UK Government based on fears the breed are behind a recent rise in fatalities and other attacks.

But Lauren, whose four children have grown up around XL Bully’s, is determined to stand up for the breed and fight the ban.

She believes XL Bully’s are being unfairly targeted by the Government due to unfounded fears about their temperment.

She also blames ‘wannabe gangsters’ for damaging the dog’s reputation in the public’s mind, saying some owners are only interested in the breed because of its image as a ‘tough, scary dog’.

“You can’t tarnish them all with the same brush,” said Lauren,

"These dogs that are biting and attacking the public are the £500 quick sale pups with no papers coming from back street breeders that know absolutely nothing about genetics and the way of breeding.

“We’re in this situation because of these back street breeders that are only interested in making a few quid.

"But not every Bully breeder is like that. We breed for temperament and to better the stock we already have.

“Idiots on street corners in balaclavas who don’t even know how to manage their own dog when it kicks off – these are the problem. Not the dogs.

"It’s the way they have raised them. Uncontrollable dogs that haven’t had the best upbringing being raised by wannabe gangstas.

“Who knows what the future holds for our bullies? We all knew it was coming. But we have to fight for our family the same way they lay down their loyalty for us on a daily basis around our children.

"I will always fight for what’s right. There’s thousands of us with this beautiful breed that are responsible owners and when they’re raised correctly their loyalty is unmatched.

What does the ban mean for XL Bully owners? Will they be culled?

Restrictions will be placed on American XL bully dogs to “safely manage” them once a ban on the breed comes into force, says the Government.

But owners of American XL bullies will not face a cull of their pets after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to ban the breed following a spate of dog attacks.

Instead, Downing Street said measures will be put in place to cover the “existing population” of the dogs in response to concerns that they will still be allowed on the streets once a ban on new owners comes in.

Existing owners could face a requirement to neuter their dogs and muzzle them in public, the Government’s chief vet has suggested.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We will need to safely manage the existing population of these dogs. Exactly what that looks like will be a topic for the consultation.

“And there will need to be some sort of transition period.”

The first step of the move to ban American XL bullies will take place this week, with police, vets and other experts helping to define the breed.

Then the consultation will take place on the ban, which will come in by the end of 2023.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey told MPs that guidance about the enforcement of the Dangerous Dogs Act will also be tightened.

“While the courts have the power to allow people to keep banned breeds with certain conditions, like being muzzled and neutered, the number of so-called exempted dogs is higher than a decade ago,” she said.

“That was not the intention of the legislation passed over 30 years ago. Therefore, we will also review our guidance to enforcers of the law.”

The Chief Veterinary Officer indicated on Saturday that there will be an “amnesty” approach to American XL bullies, echoing the way the ban on pit bull terriers under the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in the 1990s.

Professor Christine Middlemiss said owners will need to register their American XL bully, with the dog required to be neutered and muzzled and on a lead when in public.

They will also need to be insured but stressed that anyone complying with the new restrictions will be able to keep their dog.