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XL bully ban comes into force
More than 35,000 XL bully dogs have been registered.
It is now illegal to own an unregistered XL bully in England and Wales.

From today (1 February), it is illegal to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a Certificate of Exemption.

Any owner of an XL bully found not to be complying with the new rules will have their dog seized and face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

The latest government figures reveal that more than 35,000 dogs have been registered for exemption. As the total number of XL bully type dogs in England and Wales is not known, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 100,000, it is unclear how many might still be unregistered.

There have also been over 150 claims for compensation for euthanising XL bully dogs.

The ban was introduced by the UK government under the Dangerous Dogs Act following a rise in the number of fatal dog attacks. Since the start of 2021, there have been 23 fatal dog attacks, with at least 10 of the attacks involving dogs identified as, or suspected to be, XL bullies.

Environment secretary Steve Barclay said: “We have delivered our pledge to bring in this important measure to protect public safety, and we expect all XL bully owners to comply with the strict conditions.”

To qualify for an exemption certificate, the dog must be neutered by 31 December 2024 if they were less than one year old on 31 January 2024 and by 30 June 2024 if they were more than year old on 31 January 2024.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has been pressing the government to extend the neutering deadlines because of the risk of developmental orthopaedic problems and other conditions in large breeds neutered early and to ease the pressure on the veterinary profession.

The BVA and other animal welfare and veterinary charities including the RSPCA, Battersea, and The Kennel Club have also called for breed-specific bans to be replaced by measures focused on breeders and owners.

Image © Shutterstock

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.