More than 180 XL Bullies have been seized by Lancashire Police since the the breed was banned.
The total, as revealed by Freedom of Information requests by the RSCPA, is the second highest of any of the 19 forces who responded. Unlike other forces, Lancashire did not say how many of those animals had been euthanised.
The data was revealed by the RSPCA as it warned the ban is ‘failing’ amid continued dog bites, attacks and even human fatalities.
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Instead, the charity is calling on the government to commit to a full and in depth review of dog control, including the Dangerous Dogs Act, which has now reached 34 years on the statute book.
The RSPCA is urging decision makers to prioritise an approach that encourages responsible dog ownership in the nation’s communities, rather than banning dogs ‘based purely on how they look’.
In September 2023, the UK Government announced an intention to ban the XL bully dog – and by the end of the year, it became illegal to breed, sell, advertise or give away an XL bully. By February 2024, it became an offence to own an XL bully dog at all, without a valid exemption certificate.
The XL Bully ban has led to high numbers of suspected banned dogs being seized by Police Forces across England and Wales. From the 19 Police Forces who responded to an RSPCA request for information, 1,140 dogs were seized as suspected banned types during 2024; and from those specifying the types of banned dogs euthanased, a very large majority were XL bullies.
Under section one the Dangerous Dogs Act, dogs can be seized if they are a prohibited type – namely an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino or Fila Brasileiro.
The RSPCA is a member of the Dog Control Coalition, which is working towards more effective and sustainable dog control across the UK with rules that focus on dog behaviour and responsible ownership.
The ban has also had a significant impact on the charity sector. Figures from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes show its members had to put to sleep 693 dogs in 2024 as a result of the legislation – more than triple the 2023 figure (201), and more than eight times the numbers in 2022 (80).
Dr Samantha Gaines, Head of Companion Animals at the RSPCA, said: “This data paints a predictable and depressing picture – with the change in legislation meaning high numbers of XL bully dogs are being seized and put to sleep.
“Many of these dogs will have been much-loved family pets; their existence made illegal by a change of legislation focussed purely on how a dog looks rather than their behaviour.”
XL Bullies can only be kept legally as pets if they comply with strict regulations – including the owner having obtained an exemption certificate by the end of January 2024, and that they wear a muzzle in all public places.
Despite the ban on XL Bullies, there were ten reported dog-related fatalities in the UK in 2024 – higher than in any full year before the ban was first announced, while police forces also reported seeing more out-of-control dog attacks causing injury in 2024. The majority of these attacks did however involve XL bullies.
Sam added: “It is absolutely heart breaking that dog fatalities and serious bite incidents are continuing and in very concerning numbers – which underlines that the Dangerous Dog Act simply isn’t working, and hasn’t been for 34 years.
“The UK Government urgently needs to adopt a different approach; focussed instead on preventing dangerous behaviours rather than focussing on the dog’s individual breed.
“The law has been failing dogs and, crucially, public safety too for long. It’s time for decision makers to review the current dog control situation and commit to measures which effectively protect public safety and safeguard dog welfare.”
The RSPCA also says the “patchwork” of available data also highlights the need for the UK government to address critical data gaps enabling a “more complete” picture – in the interests of public safety and animal welfare.
Sam said: “The patchwork of data provided by police forces shows an increase in the numbers of dogs being seized, and put to sleep – but this is not the only area where data is lacking – we clearly need far more consistent, detailed recording about dog bites, and monitoring of dangerous dog incidents.
“In the absence of this information we are unable to fully understand the scale of dog bites and their causal factors, nor to inform effective public health and safety strategies. Given the importance of this issue, we urgently need a more complete picture.”
More information on the RSPCA’s campaign against breed specific legislation can be found on the RSPCA website.
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