Correspondence

Animal Sentience Committee letter on XL Bullies and the Dangerous Dogs Act

Published 6 February 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-sentience-committee-letter-on-xl-bully-dogs-and-the-dangerous-dogs-act/animal-sentience-committee-letter-on-xl-bullies-and-the-dangerous-dogs-act

The fundamental issue is that large, powerful dogs with significant bite strength can cause serious harm to, or even kill, humans and other animals (especially other dogs). This causes direct suffering to those who are bitten, along with anxiety, resentment, and anger on the part of the public. The point is often made that any dog, of any breed, can bite – but stronger dogs are difficult or impossible to restrain. 

A number of approaches have been suggested for addressing this issue, ranging from identifying breeds of dog that are especially likely to be dangerous and taking steps to remove these from the population (as in the Dangerous Dogs Act), alongside more generic education, prevention, and controls around dog ownership (such as the return of dog licensing) and appropriate and consistent enforcement. 

Welfare implications of adding a particular breed to the DDA 

  1. The dogs will not be allowed to breed; the Dangerous Dogs Exemption Scheme requires neutering of both sexes. 

  2. The dogs may not be sold or given away - welfare issues include dogs having to live with people who do not want them anymore. There is a risk that people may kill their own dogs, using inhumane methods, or abandon them, without suitable alternatives. 

  3. The dogs must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public. This is likely to negatively affect a dog’s quality of life, especially if they have been used to off lead exercise. Alongside the positive welfare impact - other dogs and people would be less at risk of painful, distressing and sometimes fatal attacks. 

  4. The dogs cannot be abandoned or allowed to stray - applies to all dogs. 

There are also other requirements within the Exemption Scheme that may cause irresponsible owners to relinquish, abandon or euthanise their dogs, such as the requirement for microchipping and third-party insurance. 

Questions to consider 

The Animal Sentience Committee considers these questions should be considered when formulating a solution to these dangerous dogs: 

  • The diligence that was applied to researching and analysing the statistics on dog bites/attacks on humans and other animals, to take into account the multifactorial causes of these? 
  • What is the level of confidence that breed/type standards will be robustly formed and applied? 
  • What effective alternatives to adding XL Bullies to the DDA were considered? 
  • Was there any available evidence on the comparative outcomes of different approaches to reducing dog attacks, including Breed Specific Legislation and preventive/educational measures, such as in other countries? 
  • Can existing information on the genetic basis of aggression in dogs improve the identification of the most dangerous animals or breeds. 
  • If not, what further data are needed and how can this be obtained? 
  • The number of dogs affected, and the enforcement resources required to effectively deliver this ban.
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