England, Wales Ban on XL Bully Dogs to Take Effect Sunday
The Facts
A controversial ban on American XL Bully dogs, which will make it illegal to sell, abandon, give away, and breed them, as well as to have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle, is set to come into effect on Sunday in England and Wales.
People who already own American XL Bullies must apply for an exemption certificate, which requires them to obtain active public liability insurance and to have their dogs microchipped and neutered, by Feb. 1 to avoid committing a criminal offense.
The Spin
Narrative A
As Britain should have long widened its ban on dangerous dogs to include all of them and enforce it to prevent further fatalities, banning XL Bullies is certainly good news. Regardless of claims that they could have wonderful temperaments if treated properly, it's in the nature of fighting-bred dogs to attack and kill.
Narrative B
It's certain that unrestrained, aggressive dogs pose a threat to communities, but breed-specific legislation has already proved to be a high-cost and ineffective measure to prevent dog attacks. The epitome of canine evil was once the Rottweilers; now it's pit bull-type dogs such as the XL Bully, so instead of focusing on the breed, policies should take into account how dogs behave.