Confirm an XL Bully dog has been neutered
Owners and vets can use this form to confirm an XL Bully dog has been neutered.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
If you own an XL Bully dog, you must provide Defra with evidence that your dog has been neutered for your Certificate of Exemption to remain valid. If you do not provide evidence that your dog has been neutered by the relevant deadline, your dog will no longer be exempt.
Your XL Bully dog must be permanently neutered. Male dogs must be neutered through castration, and female dogs must be spayed. An RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon must perform the neutering procedure.
Deadlines for providing evidence that your dog has been neutered
You must provide Defra with evidence that your XL Bully dog has been neutered on or before the relevant deadline.
The owner and vet must fill in the veterinary confirmation of neutering form (VCN01) once the neutering procedure has been carried out. The owner should return the form to Defra.
The deadlines for neutering and the receipt of the form by Defra depend on the dog’s age on 31 January 2024.
| Age of the dog on 31 January 2024 | Deadline for receipt of form |
|---|---|
| 12 months or older | 26 July 2024 (but the dog must have been neutered by 30 June 2024) |
| At least 7 months old, but less than 12 months old | 31 December 2024 |
| Less than 7 months old | 30 June 2025 |
Defra will contact the dog owner if there are any issues verifying the information on the form.
Defra recommends having your dog neutered as soon as possible so that you meet these deadlines.
Dogs aged 12 months and older on 31 January 2024
The deadline for neutering and submitting confirmation of neutering for these dogs has passed. Defra will get in touch with everyone who has submitted evidence that their dog has been neutered.
If your dog was not neutered before the deadline and you have not submitted evidence of neutering, you should:
- contact your local police force
- continue to comply with all other exemption requirements to protect public safety
Neutering your dog is recommended even if you have missed the deadline.
If your XL Bully is already neutered
A vet must confirm that your XL Bully is already neutered and fill in the VCN01 form with the owner.
The owner must return the form to Defra on or before the relevant deadline. The deadlines are shown in the section above, ‘Deadlines for providing evidence that your dog has been neutered’.
Where to send this form
The owner must email a scanned copy or photo of the completed VCN01 form to XLBneuteringcerts@defra.gov.uk, or post it to:
Dogs Index (neutering forms)
PO Box 68250
London
SW1P 9XG
If you send the form by email, include the dog’s Certificate of Exemption number in the subject line. Include all scans or photos of the form in a single email.
If sending by post, we recommend you use a signed-for or special delivery service.
Defra must receive the form by the relevant deadline. The deadlines are in the table under the section ‘Deadlines for providing evidence that your dog has been neutered’.
Guidance for vets
For help with the form, vets can use the How to complete form VCN01 guide (PDF, 155kb).
Updates to this page
Published 14 November 2023Last updated 19 August 2024 + show all updates
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Updated to say Defra will get in touch with all owners who submitted evidence of neutering, now that the deadline has passed for dogs aged 12 months or older on 31 January.
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Added information on what XL Bully owners should do if they miss the deadline for neutering their dog or for sending their confirmation of neutering form to Defra.
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Updated the deadline for Defra to receive the neutering form for dogs aged 12 months and older on 31 January 2024.
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Clarified the deadlines for providing evidence that your dog has been neutered. Also updated the contact details you should use to return the completed form. Updated the Veterinary confirmation of neutering form (VCN01) with a new, simplified version.
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Updated the instructions on the VCN01 form to make it clear when you need to provide proof of neutering, and that the dog owner is responsible for submitting the form.
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Updated the guidance to clarify that it is the owner's responsibility to return the confirmation of neutering form, and to clarify the deadlines the form needs to be submitted by.
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First published.