Dozens of XL Bully owners in Bucks applied to keep 'dangerous' dogs banned by Government

Dozens of XL Bully owners in Buckinghamshire have tried to get their dogs exempt from a forthcoming ban, an investigation has found.

A total of 83 applications for a certificate of exemption to keep an XL Bully dog have been made in the county over the last two months, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has revealed.

The figure, supplied under a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, covers the seven weeks since the Government announced its ban of XL Bullies on 31 October.

From 31 December it will be illegal to breed, sell and give away XL Bullies in England and Wales, or to walk them off the lead or without a muzzle.

Owners who want to keep their pets must apply for exemption or have their dog put down by 31 January, 2024.

From February 1, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog without a certificate of exemption.

The ban on XL bully dogs comes after a spate of fatal attacks by the animals, although many owners maintain their pets are harmless.

To get a certificate of exemption, owners must get public liability insurance, permanently neuter their dog, pay a £92.40 fee for each dog they want to keep and fill out an application form.

The Prime Minister called the dogs “a danger to our communities” in an interview with the BBC in September. XL bullies are a crossbreed of other canines including the American Pit Bull Terrier.