Why we must ban ‘bred to kill’ American Bully XL dogs, says South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes
MP Sir John Hayes calls for the banning of a breed of dog ‘bred to kill’ in his latest column after hearing how a constituent’s precious pet was attacked...
Britain is a nation of dog lovers. Millions give care and gain comfort from canine companions.
Nevertheless, because not all dogs are harmless, laws have been in place for around a thousand years to protect people from those that are dangerous.
The earliest edict dates all the way back to Alfred the Great – a ruling made that “if a dog tear or bite a man, for the first misdeed let six shillings be paid”.
Victorian legislation handed authorities, for the first-time, powers to fine owners who failed to control an “unmuzzled ferocious dog,” and to seize such creatures.
In more recent times, the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act was passed in the wake of a savage pit bull terrier attack on a six-year-old girl in Bradford.
This followed similar incidents, leading to a Government promise to “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs.”
Though this law was a huge step in the right direction, it bans the owning, breeding and selling of just four breeds – including the aforementioned pit bull terrier.
Critics say it doesn’t do enough to deal with the owners who are often culpable, by negligence, for dog attacks, whilst others rightly question whether enough dangerous breeds are prohibited.
Tragically, the subject of dangerous dogs is salient again.
The UK saw 10 dog attacks last year – of which seven were believed to be from the American Bully XL breed.
Last year a 17-month-old girl was killed by an American Bully XL, as was a ten-year-old boy, in late 2021.
So far this year, there have been at least two fatal Bully dog attacks.
Closely related to the banned pit bull terrier, the American Bully XL can weigh up to nine-and-a-half stone.
The Bully is bred for fighting, and so poses a particular safety risk.
Indeed, some experts -including those who advised on the Dangerous Dogs Act- have warned that breeders are making the Bully XL’s bigger and more muscular.
Make no mistake, these dogs are bred to fight and kill.
Worse still, breeding may make them more fierce by instinct, as the dogs are in pain resulting from the way they are spawned.
Some senseless so-called ‘celebrities’ see these breeds as status symbols, thus simultaneously legitimising cruelty and making the fighting Bully dogs more popular.
Empty minds on empty minded social media have amplified this dreadful trend.
Deaths caused by dog attacks have more than doubled in the past two years and reports show that over 1,700 children were treated in hospital after being bitten by dogs last year.
What’s worse, we don’t even know how many of these dangerous dogs there are in our country.
At a recent local advice surgery, I met a couple whose beloved pet dog died tragically as a result of an attack by another dog, which was much larger and out of control.
They were also severely injured in the attack.
It is time for the 1991 law to be updated to reflect this new threat to public safety.
I am calling for the Government to introduce new legislation to ban the breeding and sale of these dangerous dogs, so better protecting decent people and their pets from fighting dog attacks.
Certainly, all owners must take responsibility for their animals, regardless of their type, but legislation has a part to play too.
It is said that a dog is a ‘man’s best friend’, and so many bring so much joy, as pets are a loved part of family life.
Contrast this with the brutal culture of breeding and keeping vicious dogs to be man’s worst enemy.
Maulings by ferocious dogs should be consigned to our past.
Banning the American Bully XL is just plain common sense. Ministers must act before more innocent lives are lost to savagery.
