Banning American XL bully dogs will not “reduce dog bites or dog attacks”, Pete the Vet has said. 

Earlier this month, Rishi Sunak announced the British Government would be banning the breed by the end of the year. 

In 2022, six of the 10 fatal dog attacks in Britain were carried out by American XL bully dogs and Mr Sunak described them as a “danger to our communities, particularly our children.”

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Peter Wedderburn 'Pete the Vet' said he did not think the ban would make British streets any safer.

“Absolutely, definitely not,” he said. 

“[Banning the breed] doesn’t help - they tried to do that way back in 1991; in the UK they banned four breeds including the Pitbull terrier. 

“Yet here we are, over 30 years later and we’re dealing with a big, strong muscular dog and people have decided to ban it in the UK. 

“It just doesn’t work; it doesn’t reduce dog bites or dog attacks. 

“I know people like the idea but all that happens, if you ban a breed, is that people say, ‘Okay, that dogs banned, let’s just see can create a new kind of dog that’s large and muscular.’” 

New rules

After the legislation is enacted, there will not be a cull of American XL bully dogs - but they will have to be registered, neutered and kept leashed and muzzled in public at all times. 

However, Pete the Vet feels the law is unlikely to be followed by all bully owners. 

“In Ireland you have restricted breeds that are meant to be muzzled in public - and that includes German shepherds,” he said. 

“I can say to you, whenever you see a German shepherd out and about, you almost never see them muzzled. 

“However, the law says they must be muzzled. 

“I’m not saying they should be muzzled, I think the law is silly and that’s why people don’t obey it. 

“So, you can’t just introduce knee-jerk response laws.”

Safety

Instead, Pete the Vet thinks owners should receive more training for people to prepare them for life with a pet. 

“In Germany, you have to do a theoretical and practical exam before you get your first dog licence,” he said. 

“So, they make sure that people have cop on… and they also have compulsory third-party insurance for all dogs in some areas. 

“That means if your dog does bite somebody, then they can get recompense.”

Main image: American XL bully. Picture by: Alamy.com