The RSPCA has criticised new Government American XL bully guidance, complaining it has confused owners over whether their dogs will be classed as the banned breed.
The animal welfare charity has demanded clarification over the guidance which lists a series of characteristics and suggests a dog is an XL if it meets a “substantial number”.
In November, the Government published an “official XL bully definition” to provide owners with guidance on whether their pet would be regarded as the breed.
It comes as a ban on owning these types of dogs is set to be introduced in February.
In the guidance it suggests that if a male dog is 20in (51cm) at the withers, the tallest point below the neck and head. For females this should be 19in (48cm).
The guidance also lists more than 30 characteristics and suggests that if a dog matches a “substantial number” of these, it can be defined as an XL bully.
These include having a “heavily-muscled body”, a “heavy and broad head” and a “broad deep chest”.
The RSPCA has now criticised the guidance, suggesting that there are thousands of owners who are unsure whether their dog meets the criteria and could be banned in 2024.
The charity has received more than 50,000 unique visitors to its own bully XL advice page since it was launched in early September after the announcement of the ban.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “We believe this indicates the deep concern and desire for clarity from pet owners over the recently-announced XL bully legislation.”
“While we are doing all we can to reassure owners, there remains confusion around how best to interpret the UK Government’s definition of an XL bully.”
From Feb 1 2024, will probably be unlawful to personal an American bully XL in England and Wales.
There shall be exemptions for some dogs, if an proprietor has third get together insurance coverage towards injuring individuals, and it has been neutered.
The new legal guidelines are available in response to several attacks involving the breed.
These embody the demise of Ian Price, a businessman from Stonnall, close to Walsall within the West Midlands, who died after being attacked by what police consider to be two American XL bully dogs.
On saying his resolution to ban them, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, mentioned: “It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs – it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
However, the choice has been met with opposition from XL bully homeowners who stress that the assaults come from a tiny proportion of the XL bully inhabitants.
This contains Ben Spencer, a rugby participant in Bath, who’s campaigning for Mr Sunak to reverse his decision.
Mr Spencer mentioned: “Obviously, public safety is everyone’s number one. It is what everybody wants. Rishi’s doing his job too, to protect the public.
“But for me, this isn’t about one breed because take pit bulls for example, there’s more registered pit bulls now in the UK than there were in 1990 when they got banned.
“So, banning a breed and then thinking that this will solve the problem is quite clear that it won’t.”
Others have spoken out about the confusing guidance, raising concerns over whether their pets will come under the ban.
Robyne Reid, of Cannock, Staffordshire, told the BBC that she believed her dog Vinnie met the characteristics of an XL bully, despite not being bred as one.
“His dad is a Neapolitan Mastiff-Great Dane cross, and his mum is an American bulldog… He’s obtained extra of [the characteristics] than not.”
“I feel like Vinnie’s been penalised because of the way he looks, not because of his breed.”
Sophie Russell, from Kent, additionally advised the BBC that she was unclear on whether or not her adopted 18-month-old canine shall be banned.
She mentioned: “She does come over 19in and she probably has some of those characteristics, but it’s so vague and so open to interpretation.”
“Why is there not someone that I can take her to? Why are there not people trained already that I can take her to and say, ‘is she, or isn’t she?’.”
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs mentioned it has printed steerage and an image financial institution to assist homeowners decide whether or not their dogs fall underneath the ban.
They mentioned: “If owners are unsure whether their dog is an XL bully, they should take a precautionary approach and comply with the relevant requirements and restrictions as they come into force.
“If someone has a dog that is clearly another established breed, such as a Rottweiler, the XL bully ban does not apply.”
