American Bulldog Breed Could Be Banned in the UK

The bulldog breed known as the American bully XL could be exiled forever from the UK, after a number of attacks, including the fatal mauling of a 10-year-old boy. Home Secretary Suella Braverman says she is seeking “urgent advice” on whether to ban the breed.

In 2021, 10-year-old Jack Lis of Caerphilly was killed by an American bully XL named “Beast.” The dog was shot and killed by the responding police officers and Beast’s owners were jailed. In recent weeks more attacks have been reported, including that of an 11-year-old girl and two men in Birmingham in a ghastly incident captured on video and widely shared.

"This is appalling,” Braverman posted on social media. “The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We can't go on like this.”

Earlier this year South Yorkshire Police said dangerous dog encounters in the county had more than doubled in five years, and that the American XL Bully was responsible for much of it. “In 2018, we saw 77 of these incidents and have already seen 180 in the first six months of this year,” Assistant Chief Constable Dan Thorpe told BBC News in June. “We can't ignore the fact that the XL bully breed is disproportionately represented in the number of dog attacks we attend.”

The XL, the largest of the American bully breed, is a cross between the American pit bull terrier, American bulldog, and English bulldog. The breed was first recognized by the American Bully Kennel Club in 2004 and by the European Bully Kennel Club in 2008.

Four breeds have been banned in the UK since the enactment of the Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991, which prohibited the owning, selling, breeding, and abandoning the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. The bully XL might soon join the list.

Photo credit: BBC News