Hundreds of XL Bully owners gathered in London today to protest against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plans to ban the breed.
The muscular mutts have become public enemy number one in the canine world following a series of attacks by the powerful beasts in recent months.
The breed is set to be banned by the end of the year after a series of attacks, including the attack on father-of-two Ian Price from Staffordshire, who was killed by two XL bullies earlier this month after they ran out of a neighbor’s window had jumped.
Owners are panicking and abandoning their pets or begging veterinarians to change official records to call them “staffies” because they fear their dogs will be euthanized.
Most say their dogs are completely safe and insist that only the minority of animals are actually dangerous.
But while the owners were traveling in London, they didn’t have any of their pets with them.
Before the event, the message was spread: “Please don’t take your dogs to protest.”
People take part in a protest in central London against the government’s decision to add XL bully dogs to the banned breed list
One of the posters read, “Don’t bully our bullies,” while another read, “Stop bullying our best friends.”
One extremely provocative T-shirt featured a photoshopped image of the Prime Minister
American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK until the end of the year
“The police will upset and confiscate your dog.”
It is understood they made this decision due to a mix of fears the dogs would be taken and an obvious PR disaster if anyone became aggressive.
Many of the protesters held banners as they marched to Parliament to promote their cause.
One of the posters read: “Don’t bully our bullies,” while another read: “Stop bullying our best friends.”
One extremely provocative T-shirt featured a photoshopped image of the Prime Minister.
The image showed Rishi Sunak holding a dog muzzle with the slogan “Muzzle Rishi, don’t bully our breed.”
Michelle West, from Northfleet, made posters for the rally outside Westminster showing her dog Ossie with seven-year-old daughter Elizabeth.
She told Kent Online: “People need to take responsibility for their dog.” They blame the wrong end of the leadership.
“I’ve never seen a dog so clingy and cuddly.”
Many of the protesters wore branded clothing and the posters looked professional
These dog lovers blamed the recent series of scandals on bad owners rather than the animals
“He just always wants to be close to you and loves to be cuddled and petted.”
Mr Sunak said he had instructed ministers to convene a panel of experts, including the police, to define the breed so it could then be banned.
“The American XL Bully is a danger to our communities, especially our children,” he said.
“I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we have all seen.” Yesterday we witnessed another suspected XL Bully dog attack, which tragically resulted in a fatality.
“It is clear that this is not about a handful of poorly trained dogs: this is a pattern of behavior that cannot continue.”
“While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are working urgently to stop these attacks and protect the public.”
This dog owner said that the animals were not responsible and that it was the owners’ fault
She proudly held up the sign alongside others wearing T-shirts that read “Save Our Babies.”
“Today I tasked ministers with bringing together police and experts to first define the breed of dog behind these attacks and then outlaw them.”
“It is not currently a legally defined breed, so this important first step must take place quickly.”
“We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will come into force by the end of the year.”
There have been two horrific attacks by suspected XL Bullies in West Midlands County in the last week.
Mohammed Sami Raza was left covered in blood and suffering horrific injuries to his arms and legs after the mutt attacked him in Bentley Drive, Walsall.
In another attack on Monday, two Rottweilers stormed into a family’s home and killed two beloved cats – leaving the resident and her children screaming for help.
Creepy doorbell footage showed the Solihull family happily greeting their beloved pets from the car. Moments later, the two large dogs ran into the driveway and into the house, then destroyed the kitchen and killed both cats.
Any ban includes an amnesty for existing owners as long as their pets are registered, neutered and muzzled in public.
Government officials emphasized that if they required all owners to have their bully dogs castrated, the breed would simply die out. There are currently no plans for a cull.
American bullies are a relatively new breed, originating in the 1980s. They are mixed breed bulldogs, typically American pit bull terriers crossed with American, English and Old English bulldogs.
Although the Bully XL is the most common, the dogs can also be crossed with Mastiffs and other larger dogs to make them larger, XXL or even XXXL.
Despite their relative popularity in the UK, they are not officially registered as a breed by the UK Kennel Club, making it difficult to know exactly how many there are in the country.
Source : www.dailymail.co.uk