Born Innocent

We are terribly sorry to hear of the distressing news of a woman in her 50s being mauled to death by her own dogs yesterday, 20.05.24.

The dogs were registered as XL bullies and duly exempted.

Although there are no indications of the circumstances, we have been contacted by owners who are
1. Struggling to train their dogs to wear a muzzle on walks, especially as the days get hotter
2. Being persecuted by members of the public when legally walking their dogs on a leash and with a muzzle.

This, we have been told, is leading to a reduction in the amount of exercise dogs are getting.

We are, under no circumstances, suggesting this is the case here.

However, we urge owners with exempted dogs or, indeed, any dog, to get help in teaching them to wear a muzzle. There are lots of great examples on how to do this on the internet if you cannot afford a trainer.
Check out The Muzzle Up Project for great information here: https://muzzleupproject.com

It is also key that dogs take regular exercise suited to their breed, age and fitness / health conditions. If you are unsure, your vet can advise you.

If your dog is not getting the stimulus they used to for whatever reason, a good run around in a safe, exclusive enclosed field on a weekly basis will help.
Both private and public fields can be found here: https://dogwalkingfields.co.uk

If you are struggling, certified behaviourists and dog trainers offer all sorts of services, including online at entry-level prices. Some dog walkers are also experienced with large breeds and might offer single dog walking. Call around local Kennels if you don’t know where to start as they often have contacts.

Finally, if the horrible event of a dog fight happens, the safest thing to do if you are alone is to get help.

We advise owners to research the subject and learn to protect their dogs and themselves.

Owning a dog of any breed leaves us open to unforeseen possibilities, but tragedies such as what happened in East London touches us all.
Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased lady.

For anyone needing private information, please, feel free to DM us.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/20/woman-killed-by-her-two-xl-bully-dogs-at-home-in-east-london

Woman killed by her two XL bully dogs at home in east London Victim, who was in her 50s, pronounced dead at scene in Hornchurch and the animals seized

We have received lots of messages from worried owners regarding the XL BULLY ban.
⚠️We remind you that if you wish to apply for exemption for your dog, you MUST do so by MIDDAY on 31.01.24⚠️

The advice from the government is if your dog meets the minimum height of 20 in (51cm) for males and 19in (48cm) for females at the withers and a substantial number of the characteristics for THEIR definition of an XL Bully type and you are unsure, to get your dog exempted as a precaution.

To help with measuring, we are sharing these pictures from My Family Vets.
You can find more measurement guidance, including videos, on trustworthy sites such as Blue Cross UK or Battersea

We fully disagree with Breed Specific Legislation but feel it’s important to remind owners this is one of the few instances under British legislation where you are presumed guilty upfront - and from FEB 1st 2024 it is a crime to own a non-exempt XL Bully type dog.

Further, at this stage you can exempt your dog without any further concerns, such as potential legal costs, your dog being seized, etc.

To exempt your dog:

1. Get 3rd party liability insurance. The quickest and easiest way is via the Companion Club Membership from Dogs Trust
At this stage you CANNOT pay through Direct Debit, as you need the 1st day of your insurance for exemption application; you will receive it via email once your payment has cleared.
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/support-us/companion-club

2. You need your dog’s chip number, which you should find on vaccination cards or e-mails.
If you don’t know it, call your vets. If they don’t have it, make an emergency appointment to get it scanned. It’s quick and painless and most vets do not charge for this fee; check with your vet first.

3. Go online at the official site:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-certificate-of-exemption-to-keep-an-xl-bully-dog

4. Pay the application fee of £92.40 per dog.
You will be emailed a payment confirmation with a 10-digit payment reference number. You also need this number for the application.

⚠️ PAYING THE FEE DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE APPLIED. You MUST apply for the certificate of exemption and get an e-Mail advice of your application.

Your dog does NOT need to be neutered for the application.
A dog over 12 months at application can be neutered by 31.06.24 and a dog under 12 months by by 31.12.24

‼️XL BULLIES ‼️
On December 21st, the amazing Professor John Cooper QC, representing a number of organisations, was able to secure a judiciary review on the addition of XL Bullies to the Dangerous Dogs Act. Sadly, it was not a Xmas miracle as the dates for the ban still stand.

From 31st December 2023 it becomes illegal to sell, abandon, give away, breed or have an XL Bully dog in public without a muzzle and being on a leash.

This technically means all rescue dogs should be destroyed. Our hope for a Xmas miracle is that rescues and vets will rebel and refuse to carry out this massive massacre.
Why should the government demand they enforce it when the legislation is still due a judicial review? This is beyond cruel and criminal from Rishi Sunak and DEFRA to demand they follow it and then we could potentially find out the amendment was created and passed with legislative failures.

If you are able to keep an exempted dog, which is a lifetime commitment, you can still contact local rescues and ask to help save a life.
To make your voice heard by Politicians you can write to your MP; to Stephen Barkley (Secretary for DEFRA) and Rishi Sunak using this link:

https://www.writetothem.com