XL Bully Dog Crisis: Surge in Attacks, Abandonments

0:00On March 30, staff at specialist kennels for seized XL bully dogs in the UK are dreading phone calls from police, especially during school holidays, when attacks spike. Since the Breed Band hit in 2024, these private facilities now house over 500 of the dogs across seven sites, with one spot, showing 120 aggressive ones in metal cages, color-coded by danger level from green to black. Earlier this week, a BBC teen guy rare access to one unnamed kennel, where workers like Mark, who seized his dog's post-attack, describe scenes straight out. Of a horror flick, sometimes finding victims' bodies still there, he hates half-terms and Christmas breaks because bites surge, and Breed Band, most dogs were low-risk green now, only 2 out of 120, qualify. Attacks have climbed yearly since 2018, with at least six deaths from XL bullies in the year after the ban. Police costs for kenneling jump from 4 million pounds in 2018 to 25 million in the ban's

1:03first year, and many dogs belong to. Crime groups, yet 85% get returned to owners after court, even if they've attacked before. Meanwhile, a ban emits exploded post-banned from 21 to 129 in six months, and some not attacker space euthanasia since. Rehoming ban breeds is illegal. Recent tragedies include a 19-year-old mauled in Bristol, an 84-year-old savaged in Cheshire, and a man-killed dog sitting in Scotland. With families pushing for owner background checks like gun licenses, police expect more trouble as pre-banned pups mature, but the government is reviewing rules, balancing credits with public safety while working with cops, and vets. This breed crisis shows no signs of easing, forcing tough choices on everyone involved.