An animal charity has warned that the ban on American bully XL dogs could result in healthy dogs being put down, as it may be illegal to re-home a banned breed. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the breed will be banned following a spate of recent attacks. While the ban has been welcomed by many, some animal charities are concerned about the impact it may have at a time of already high demand on their services.
CEO of the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT), Rob Mitchell, said a “perfect storm” of pressures was creating a difficult time for animal rescue and rehoming charities. NAWT operates five rehoming centres in England, and due to an increase in demand from owners seeking to give up their pet, all of their centres are operating waiting lists. Mitchell explained that the incoming animals have complex health and behavioural problems which take up more staff time and mean that they are with them longer than they have seen historically. Additionally, since the American bully XL ban was announced, NAWT has reported an increase in phone calls from owners who are concerned about what the future may hold for their dogs.
Veterinary nurse Fay Alsworth has organised an event which will bring together a group of professionals including police dog handlers, dog legislation officers, and canine behaviourists to help dog owners with questions. Maddie Bell-Ashe, a trainer from TLC Dog Academy and Walking, near Milton Keynes, who runs muzzle training classes has shared information online about what the ban may mean for owners, “I’ve been getting inquiries from Glasgow to Devon with people asking for help. People are getting really overwhelmed,” she says.
Sara Rosser, Operations Manager at Hope Rescue, believes “people may panic” if their dog unexpectedly falls under the American bully XL ban, and this will lead to dogs being abandoned. She thinks that a rise in abandoned dogs would put the whole system under strain and lead to difficult decisions. This outcome could lead to further issues for rescue centres in retaining staff, making it difficult for dog lovers to work in environments where they may have to put to sleep happy and healthy dogs.
In response to the ban, the government will adopt an “amnesty” approach, where owners will have to register their dogs, and they will also need to be neutered, insured, muzzled when out in public, and on a lead. Although under the ban, there will be no culling of American bully XLs
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