The deadline has handed for homeowners of XL bully dogs to use for certificates of exemption to maintain their pets earlier than a ban on the breed comes into power.
From Thursday, it is going to be a felony offence to personal an XL bully in England and Wales and not using a certificates.
Applications needed to be submitted by noon on Wednesday.
According to the RSPCA, the Government final week stated 30,000 dogs had been registered, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been contacted for an up to date determine.
The whole variety of XL bullies, estimated by animal teams, has ranged between 50,000 and 100,000, the RSPCA added.
The latest deadline follows restrictions which got here into power on the finish of final yr which imply the dogs should be stored on a lead and muzzled in public.
Breeding, promoting or abandoning the dogs additionally turned unlawful as of December 31.
Dr Samantha Gaines, canine welfare professional on the RSPCA, stated there are considerations that homeowners can have failed to use for certificates in time or in any respect.
“There’s been a lot of communication from Defra around the need to ensure that people do go through exemption but I think there will be some individuals that are not aware of the ban, and there are obviously going to be some that just decide not to take their dogs through registration either,” she informed the PA information company.
Dr Gaines stated there have been experiences of householders struggling to adjust to the restrictions that got here into power on the finish of final yr, significantly the requirement to muzzle their pet in public.
“In order for a dog to get used to wearing a muzzle it is really, really important that it is introduced in a very slow, gradual way… but for some dogs, they have really, really struggled with it,” she informed PA.
“One of the issues has been the head shape of this type of dog, that it’s been very difficult to actually get a muzzle that will be both secure and comfortable.”
Dr Gaines informed PA the Government is conscious of these considerations and that Defra has been having common conferences with members of the Dog Control Coalition – which the RSPCA is a part of.
She additionally identified that homeowners could have monetary issue assembly necessities that incur prices, like neutering dogs.
“What has ended up happening is that there has been significant reliance on the charity sector to step forward and help owners,” she stated.
“What the RSPCA is now doing is working with the Blue Cross to actually then provide people with the means to have their dogs neutered at a subsidised cost.”
The Government transfer to ban the breed adopted a collection of assaults involving XL bullies, with one man dying after being savaged by one of many dogs final yr.
But Dr Gaines stated in a press release that banning the breed “is not the answer” and warned of a “huge risk” that rescue centres and vets might be unable to deal with a probable surge in demand because of the restrictions.
She stated: “Instead, we want to see the UK Government commit to the enforcement and improvement of current breeding and dog control regulations, and to promoting responsible dog ownership and training.
“Improving the way dogs are bred, controlled and treated throughout their lives is key to preventing dog bite incidents.”
Dr Gaines referred to as breed-specific laws “outdated” and insisted the RSPCA will proceed to marketing campaign towards laws that “unfairly punishes dogs based on their appearance”.
“The ban on XL bullies not only remains devastating for so many dogs, but is also taking a heavy toll on owners, on rescue centre staff who have grown close to dogs in their care, and to veterinary teams who face the prospect of being asked to put to sleep healthy dogs whose behaviour poses no risk,” she continued.
“There is a huge risk that rescue centres and the veterinary profession will not be able to cope with the demands put on them by this law.”
Scott Fryer, coverage supervisor at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, informed PA breed bans don’t work successfully, citing that canine chew incidents have elevated by 188% within the final 20 years.
“We have an issue with breeding. The breeding system can be made better, so that effectively we’re breeding for welfare, not just for certain looks or things like that,” he stated.
“It’s not a quick one answer, unfortunately, it is a systematic change,” Mr Fryer added.
To qualify for an exemption certificates, homeowners should show their XL bully has been neutered by June 30.
If they’ve a pup which is lower than a yr old on Wednesday, they should be neutered by the top of 2024, and proof that they’ve performed so should be offered.
A affirmation of neutering type should be submitted by these dates, in keeping with whichever deadline applies for the canine in query.
As properly as neutering their animals, XL bully homeowners looking for an exemption should additionally pay an software price, maintain third social gathering public legal responsibility insurance coverage for his or her pets, and make sure the dogs are microchipped.
Owners of XL bully dogs in Scotland may also be topic at a later date to the safeguards after the Scottish Government replicated laws in place south of the border.
The dogs had been added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31 final yr, giving homeowners two months to organize for the primary stage of restrictions.
People with dangerously uncontrolled dogs might be jailed for as much as 14 years and banned from proudly owning animals, and their pets might be put down.
