14 November 2023, 06:47
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Alamy
Applications have opened for canine homeowners to register their XL bullies earlier than the breed is made unlawful, the Government has introduced.
Owners who want to hold their dogs should apply to an exemption scheme or they will select to have their canine euthanised and apply for compensation.
It will probably be unlawful to personal an XL bully from February 1 2024 except the animal is on an exempt checklist, known as the Index of Exempted Dogs.
Those who wish to hold their dogs can have till the tip of January to register them with the exempt checklist, and can then be pressured to adjust to strict necessities.
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Alamy
This will embrace the requirement to muzzle them and hold them on a lead in public, however the dogs should even be microchipped and neutered.
Dogs greater than a yr old on January 31 should be neutered by June 30 subsequent yr, whereas these underneath 12 months old should be neutered by December 31 2024.
Read More: Police shoot dead ‘XL Bully’ after dangerous dog ‘mauls owner and attacks another person’
Owners with no certificates of exemption will face a legal report and a limiteless high-quality if they’re discovered to be in possession of an XL bully as of February 1, and their canine may very well be seized.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss mentioned: “The transition interval for XL bully dogs has now began. It is essential that XL bully homeowners learn the steering and take all the required steps.
“This contains making use of for a certificates of exemption if you wish to hold your canine and guaranteeing they’re muzzle educated by the tip of the yr, as your canine will have to be muzzled and on a lead in public after December 31 2023.
“XL breeders ought to have additionally now stopped breeding their dogs and I’d advise all homeowners to make an appointment together with your vet to get your XL bully neutered as quickly as attainable.”
