Dog experts are warning anyone buying a pup online to make careful checks before taking a potentially dangerous pet into their home.
They also want more regulation of breeders and mandatory training for owners and dogs to help prevent attacks.
Hundreds of XL American bullys and American bulldogs are being sold on sites such as Gumtree and Pets 4 Homes.
With just a few clicks we found over 20,000 dogs for sale on Gumtree and Pets 4 Homes across the country, a mix of puppies and adult dogs looking to be sold on to a new home.
Of these, 1,049 were American bullys – including 128 in Manchester, 201 in London and 75 in Leeds – and 135 were American Bulldogs.
Several of the listings alluded to behavioural problems with the dogs, for example advertising them as “not suitable for a family with a young child”.
American bullys are a cross of various guard dog breeds including the American pit bull terrier, a breed banned in the UK under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. Bullys or bully crosses were behind six in 10 fatal dog attacks last year.
Experts say the sale of animals online needs careful attention to stay safe.
Shaun Hesmondhalgh, an expert in dangerous dog legislation, said: “Anyone can say, ‘I fancy an American bulldog’, and just pick one up from a site such as Gumtree. But it can be people haven’t done the homework, they don’t know anything about the breeder, what the breeding conditions were, what the dog’s parents were like and if they had behavioural problems, whether it was a backstreet amateur breeder.
“The public have to take responsibility, and they have to be more sensible about where they are buying their dogs from.
“There needs to be an element of ‘buyer beware’ when purchasing an animal online without checks.”
He warned crosses created from aggressive breeds can be hard to control.
He added: “With the bigger breeds, we are crossing formidable dogs that probably shouldn’t be getting crossed – we have to ask what people are creating.
“The danger is when we cross something like that with other breeds, do we then create essentially a dog that has genetic issues that becomes a danger to the human population?
“I have absolutely fantastic people who come to me, who love and care for their pets but have an out-of-control or really dangerous dog, but are willing to put their hands in their pocket and get support and help.
“In those cases, you can’t say, ‘It’s not the dog, it’s the owner’. It’s a myth.”
Bullys fetch up to £1,750 online, with prices up to £3,000 for American bulldogs, the breed believed to have mauled four-year-old Luna-Ann Forsyth in Nuneaton, Warks last week.
Pets 4 Homes carries an advert for an XL American bulldog puppy for sale at £700, which is described as “not suitable for a family with a young child”.
Another up for £900 is described as “a barker, very protective if she doesn’t know you. Not in an aggressive way but she can be protective”.
On Gumtree, an owner trying to re-home her eight-month-old “big girl” bully says: “The dog is now stronger than me, I just can’t walk her as much as she needs due to this, also having three children.”
Dog behaviourist Zoe Willingham said: “The online selling of animals is a real problem, but the biggest issue is when you put that together with animals that have the potential to cause harm. It feels like a volcano waiting to erupt.
“I think every person that gets a dog should have to do some training. A mandatory ‘doggy parenting’ course would be a great idea to try and prevent problems from the outset.”
Bullys have become a fashionable breed like cockapoos and French bulldogs before them. Of the estimated 2,160 dogs reported stolen in 2022, American bulldogs were targeted the most, accounting for 90 of the total.
Zoe added: “With fashionable dogs, breeders will often try and get ahead of the curve and start breeding more of them. If they haven’t had the best of breeding and aren’t being kept in the right way trouble can happen.
“People often get dogs like the bullys to protect their homes, but most of the time these dogs aren’t very good guard dogs.”
Zoe warns it is a risk buying a dog such as an American bully XL online from an unregistered breeder. She says: “You have a powerful dog where things can go wrong more easily, that needs to be well-trained from the outset.” Hannah Molloy, an applied animal behaviour consultant at Amplifiedbehaviour.com, called for more regulation, especially around online marketplaces.
She said: “When people see a dog they think looks cute, all sense can go out of the window. The sites need to ask more questions of the people putting dogs up for sale and run more stringent checks on them, plus there needs to be tighter regulation around breeders more generally.”
The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales rose over a third over the past five years.
The Mirror is calling for more stringent regulation as part of our Tame the Danger Dogs campaign.
Labour MP Wayne David has called on the Government to “take meaningful action” following fatal dog attacks in his Caerphilly constituency.
He said: “There needs to be far more regulation around how you buy and sell dogs online. While there are some regulations, they aren’t being properly enforced. I’d like to see a form of licensing, such as a central register.”
Gumtree said: “We take the welfare of animals and safety of our users extremely seriously. We have a dedicated safety team who constantly monitor the site to ensure our rules for listings are upheld by prospective sellers, and they work with industry leading partners to ensure we comply with best practice industry standards that improve animal welfare in an ecommerce environment.
“We are committed to educating our users about different dog breeds and their respective needs. We feature comprehensive advice and tips prominently across the site and strongly urge prospective buyers to see the animal in person at least once.”
The Department for Environment said: “Our advice is clear that when looking for pets it is important that buyers do their research and ensure they go to a reputable seller.
“Buyers should ensure the dog t is suitable for their home and should be satisfied they will be able to train and control it effectively. We are reviewing the regulations that apply to licensed dog breeders and pet sellers and considering if any changes need to be made to licence conditions.”
A spokesperson for Pets4Homes’ said: “Pets4Homes, as the UK’s largest and most-trusted platform of its type, helps find loving homes for over 200 different dog breeds and 1 million pets annually.
"All of these breeds, including American Bulldogs, are entirely legal to own in the UK (according to the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991), and Pets4Homes continues to follow all official rules and regulations.
"We do not feature breeds that Defra or PAAG (the Pet Advertising Advisory Group) have a recommendation against rehoming.
"Pets4Homes works with a number of charities and animal welfare organisations to ensure the best outcomes for both buyers and sellers, and has been vocal about the dangers of animal sales through social media or unregulated online channels.
"Pets4Homes is proud to have the most comprehensive and effective vetting requirements for sellers in the UK, including ID verification, as well as confirming documentation such as microchipping and vaccination details.
"In parallel, our Trust and Safety team provides detailed information on our site to educate buyers: offering them comprehensive tools and guides to understand whether a breed is appropriate for their domestic environment and personal circumstances, and what a commitment to a dog actually entails.”
