XL Bully dog owners have been left in a panic over the future of their pets after a leading charity announced it is pulling the Government-mandated insurance.
The Dogs Trust was the only organisation willing to provide the type of insurance needed by XL Bully owners, but from July it will no longer be available.
This does not mean the dogs are set to be totally banned as ministers have pledged to find an alternative insurance solution.
But owners and animal rescue centres fear the uncertainty will mean some dogs are dumped or destroyed in the “panic” over the looming insurance void.
“Owners feel the rug has been pulled out from under us,” one said.
Conservative ministers banned the sale and breeding of XL Bullies in February 2024. But they allowed the dogs to be kept so long as owners met a set of strict requirements.
The controversial breed had been “disproportionally involved” in a sharp rise in fatal dog attacks leading up to the ban, according to Government statistics.
More than 55,000 XL Bully dog owners across the UK got a legal exemption before the ban came into force in February 2024.
Their pets must be microchipped, neutered, kept on a lead and muzzled when in public. Owners must also have third-party liability insurance, which costs £25 a year with the Dogs Trust.
Decision to pull insurance ‘not taken lightly’
The charity said it had never intended to act as an insurer in the long-term, explaining that the role was “leading to a significant increase in our costs”.
It said it was “incredibly disappointed” to have made the “difficult decision”, adding: “It is not one we have taken lightly”.
XL Bullies must be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public (Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville)The Government said it is trying to find a “workable solution” for XL Bully owners.
Smaller animal charities have urged them not to panic. They pointed out that anyone due to renew with the Dogs Trust before 30 June will at least be able to get insurance for another 12 months.
However, some fear that unless an affordable, alternative form of insurance becomes available, then some owners may have their dogs put down in the months ahead.
XL Bully dogs ‘at risk of destruction’
Carla Lane Animals in Need – a Liverpool rescue charity – warned that “legal innocent dogs across the UK will be at risk of seizure and destruction yet again”.
Kerryanne Shaw, an XL Bully owner from Glasgow who runs the All Bullie Rescue Charity, said the news was “a shock to everybody” and that owners felt the rug had been pulled from under their feet
Shaw, whose own insurance runs out in September, told The i Paper: “My concern is that even if there is an alternative [insurance provider] before 30 June, there may be some owners that don’t know.
“The biggest fear is that people will panic and may dump or euthanise their dogs, as their Dogs Trust insurance expires.”
She added: “If there are more than 50,000 dogs exempted, how does the Government expect everyone to get insurance policies in place in time? It’s a possibility that in the panic and uncertainty, some dogs will [be put down].”
Deeps Jagdev with her XL Bully dog called SaintDeeps Jagdev, an XL Bully owner from Lanarkshire, said: “What are we supposed to do? It’s up to the Government to do something – either change the requirement or make sure there’s an insurance company that provides it,” Jagdev told The i Paper.
The 42-year-old, who runs a dog-training and walking business called The Dog Mother, added: “It’s going to cause uncertainty and worry for XL Bully owners. It can’t come to putting dogs down – the Government needs to find a solution.”
A spokesperson for the Dogs Trust said: “The Government has reassured us that it will put an alternative solution in place before 30 June 2026.”
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said it was “working closely” with the Dogs Trust and the insurance sector “to find a workable solution for dog owners”.
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