The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 hit headlines in September 2023, when PM Rishi Sunak announced XL Bullies would join the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasiliero on the banned list, coming into force in February 2024 in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in January 2025. But is it working?
What does the XL Bully ban do? And which breeds are actually banned?
The act bans certain dog ‘types’, making owning them without a certificate illegal, and gives police powers to seize or restrict dogs deemed a public risk. But the idea of an XL Bully ‘type’ is contentious. Animal behaviourist and dangerous dog expert Jo-Rosie Haffenden says: “An XL Bully is not actually a breed. It is a legal ‘type’. The law does not care about pedigree papers. It relies on physical characteristics, and if a dog meets around two-thirds of those criteria, they are considered ‘of type’. The result is a system that casts an extremely wide net.”
Some pedigree dogs – such as Staffordshire bull terriers, cane corsos and bull mastiff crosses – have been deemed illegal. Supporters say the wide net protects the public during a period when dog attacks are on the rise, with many of the dog-related deaths in the UK between 2021 and early 2024 being caused by XL Bully types.
Critics, however, say it creates problems. “The uncomfortable truth,” Haffenden continues, “is that the law has grouped together dogs with very different genetics, histories and behavioural traits, then asked the public to believe they share the same behaviour. This simply isn’t true.”
The pressure on police forces
The scale of enforcement has also proved greater than expected: the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had estimated some 10,000 XL Bullies in the UK, but over 55,000 were registered by the ban’s start, placing unanticipated pressure on police forces.
In January 2025, chief constable Mark Hobrough, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for dangerous dogs, confirmed that more than 4,500 XL Bully types had been seized, and outlined the financial impact: “Veterinary bills and the cost of kennelling… is expected to rise to as much as £25 million.” That’s a 525% increase from 2018, when the figure was £4 million.
An NPCC spokesperson says forces take the Dangerous Dogs Act seriously: “We have officers in all regions of the country focusing on dangerous dogs and dog attacks.”
Do dog bans work?
Whether the ban is reducing harm remains unclear. There were 32,568 recorded offences nationwide in 2024 according to figures obtained by the BBC – a 4% increase on 2023’s total of 31,398. Some experts are not surprised. “Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) does not reduce dog attacks,” Haffenden argues. “Hospital admissions for dog bites have risen steadily since 1991. Between 1990 and 2018, admissions increased by more than 50%. Dog-related deaths remain rare, and the dogs involved in serious incidents vary widely by breed and do not reliably match the banned types.”
She points to a study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, which examined global data on dog bites, injury severity and breed. “The conclusion was clear: BSL does not reduce the incidence of dog bites or the severity of injuries. Countries that repealed pit bull bans, including Italy, parts of Canada and the Netherlands, saw no subsequent increase in dog bites or fatalities.”
The RSPCA shares this view. Its report Breed Specific Legislation: A Dog’s Dinner calls for the Government “to launch an inquiry into the effectiveness of BSL, assess other options to improve human safety and dog welfare and ultimately repeal the breed specific part of the legislation.”
Both DEFRA and the Home Office declined to comment for this article. In November 2025, however, the secretary of state for DEFRA, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “DEFRA is continuing to engage closely with the Police, local authorities and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the impacts of the ban.” She stated that responsible ownership across all breeds is a priority, and the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce has been reconvened. The Government appears to have no plans to ban any further breeds.
What are the alternatives to dog bans?
If bans are not the answer, what are the alternatives? Many experts say the key is responsible ownership, proper training and public awareness – tackling behaviour, not just breed, is what keeps people and dogs safer.
Haffenden proposes Spain’s PPP licensing model: “If you own a dog over a certain weight, you must demonstrate that you are physically and cognitively capable of handling a dog that could cause serious harm. Responsibility should sit with the handler, not the silhouette of the dog,” she concludes.
Top image: An XL Bully named Pippa enjoys a run and a walk on a private and secure dog walking field in Birmingham (credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
