Sunak Cracks Down on American XL Bully Dogs After Fatal Attack
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to ban the American XL Bully dog amid a wave of shocking attacks, including a tragic death. The move aims to tackle growing fears over public safety sparked by a recent spike in “horror” incidents involving this powerful breed.
“This Cannot Go On,” Warns Sunak
Sunak expressed heartfelt sympathy for the victims and slammed the breed’s violent behaviour. “I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen,” he said. The PM stressed the problem goes deeper than just “a handful of badly trained dogs.”
“It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs; it’s a pattern of behavior, and it cannot go on.”
Public Safety First: Breed Not Yet Official in UK
Though the American XL Bully isn’t officially recognised as a breed in the UK, Sunak plans to make that formal to enforce the ban by year-end. The breed, a muscular cross between American pit bull terriers and Staffordshire terriers since the 1980s, has four variations: standard, pocket, classic, and XL.
Campaign group Bully Watch reports the breed entered Britain around 2014-15 and surged in popularity during the pandemic.
Plans to Stop Further Attacks
Sunak highlighted that dog owners already have a duty to control their pets, but tougher government measures are coming to prevent more tragedies. The ban on American XL Bully dogs is a bold step to protect the public from potential harm and bring an end to these nightmare attacks.
