LONDON, UK: The American XL bully is reportedly banned in Turkey, UAE and France, as per Euro News. It also faces legal restrictions in the Republic of Ireland.
On Friday, September 15, UK Prime Minister took to X to call for a ban on the common American breed of dog in light of a string of "out-of-control" dog attacks in the country, per the Daily Mail.
"It’s clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities," Rishi Sunak captioned a video shared on X.
"I’ve ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe," he added.
When did Turkey ban American XL bully dogs?
It is reportedly illegal to own or breed an American bully dog in Turkey, according to an official circular issued by Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2021.
The circular stated, "The 'Law on Amendments to the Animal Protection Law and the Turkish Penal Code' numbered 7332 came into force after being published in the Official Gazette numbered 31541 dated 14.07.2021."
The notice mentioned that within the scope of the 5th article of the law, subparagraph (l) of the 14th article of the Animal Protection Law No 5199 stated, "Producing, adopting, sheltering, feeding, exchanging, exhibiting, gifting animals that pose danger as determined by the Ministry and their entry into our country, it is prohibited to sell and advertise" such animals.
"In this context, the commission formed by our ministry from representatives of relevant institutions/organizations for the identification of endangered animals; American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasilerio, Japanese Tosa, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bully breed dogs have been determined as dangerous animals," the circular mentioned.
"With the circular that came into force, the animals in question will be allowed to be kept by their owners, provided that they were adopted before 14.07.2021 in accordance with Law No 7332 and that they are neutered and registered by 14.01.2022," the notice continued.
"In addition to American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasilerio, Japanese Tosa breeds, owned American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bully breed dogs must be neutered in veterinary clinics and marked with a microchip by the said date, and they must be registered in the PETVET system by their owners along with a document proving that they have been neutered in the Province or District," it read.
The circular also mentioned that the animals which have been sterilized and registered, "cannot be walked around without a registration document, without a muzzle or a leash.
"They cannot be allowed into places where the public is densely populated, as well as children's playgrounds and parks," it further stated.
"Those who act contrary to these provisions will be given an administrative fine of 11 thousand TL," the statement announced.
"In case of repeated violation of the specified prohibitions, the animals will be confiscated by imposing an administrative fine and the animal will be taken to the animal care center by the nearest municipality where the animal can be placed," it concluded.
When did UAE ban American XL bully dogs?
The UAE reportedly "prohibits the possession and circulation of the American Bully for individuals and commercial establishments."
A 2021 article published by Gulf News mentioned that on November 22, 2021, the Ministry Of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) took to their social media channels to announce a ban on four types of dog breeds.
These breeds include, pit bull, mastiff, Japanese Tosa dogs and Perro de Presa Canario (the Spanish breed of mastiff).
The article mentioned that the breeds banned under the umbrella of pit bull included, Staffordshire terrier, American Pit bull and American bully.
However, at the time, it was also mentioned that the law does not completely "ban" the possessions of the dog breeds due to certain exceptions that allow the ownership of pit bulls, mastiffs and Japanese Tosa.
As per MoCCAE, the exceptions were considered if the dogs were service animals, emotional support animals or needed for other medical reasons.
What are the legal restrictions over American XL bully dogs in Ireland?
As per a 2022 article published by Irish Independent, no dogs were banned in Ireland but 11 breeds were placed on a restricted list.
American pit bull terrier, English bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, bull mastiff, Dobermann Pinscher, rottweiler, German shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Akita and Japanese Tosa, were among the dogs mentioned on the list.
The 11th dog on the restricted list included a cross-breed of any of the aforementioned restricted dogs. Such dogs are categorized as "Bandog" and include the American bully.
The article mentioned that the XL bully was categorised as restricted under the "Bandog" tag after an attack in Enniscorthy at the time.
As per legal rules, all dogs mentioned on the restricted list should be muzzled and on a leash in public at all times.
The leash should be strong and short, no longer than 2 metres in length. These dogs should also wear collars with the owner’s contact information and have licences and micro-chip attached.
Only adults over the age of 18 years were allowed to own a restricted breed.
When will the UK ban American XL bully dogs?
As per the Daily Mail, PM Sunak is reportedly seeking to ban American XL bully dogs in the UK by the end of 2023.
"The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children," the PM said.
"I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen. Yesterday we saw another suspected XL Bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality," he added.
"It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs: it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on," Sunak continued.
"While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public," he stated.
"Today, I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it," Sunak shared.
"It is not currently a breed defined in law so this vital first step must happen fast," he mentioned.
"We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year," the PM assured.
"These dogs are dangerous. I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe," he concluded.
