New figures show there are more than 38,000 XL Bully dogs currently living legally with their owners in England and Wales amidst the breed’s ban.
Records reveal the U.K. government issued 38,424 exemption certificates before the breed’s ban came into full effect on Feb. 1. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is among those granted a certificate of exemption.
Despite British ban on XL Bully breed, at least 38,000 dogs registered for exemption certificates
In September 2023, the U.K. prime minister pledged to ban XL Bullies following a spate of fatal attacks involving the breed. Before the ban announcement, there were already four breeds on the list of the U.K.’s banned breeds. These include Pit Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasileiro, and the Japanese Tosa.
Owners who wished to keep their Bully XLs were required to apply for an exemption certificate before Jan. 31, 2024. Those who weren’t interested were expected to euthanize their canines at the government’s cost.
According to The Daily Mail, government officials had previously estimated that there were roughly 10,000 XL Bullies in the U.K. With the total number of exemption certificates issued in England and Wales standing at 38,424, it’s now clear that the population of Bully XLs in the U.K. is far higher than what the government had originally thought.
Any current XL Bully owner with a certificate of exemption can’t face criminal charges for owning the banned breed.
Arsenal’s David Raya applied for an exemption certificate to keep his pet, named Goku. Raya is training his XL Bully as a guard dog to protect his North London residence from burglars. In the recent past, several high-profile football players — among them Manchester City’s midfielder Jack Grealish and Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling — have been victims of home raids.
Besides having an exemption certification, XL Bully owners must keep their dogs muzzled and leashed without fail while in public.
