A SCOTTISH Government minister has said she is “concerned” over reports of XL Bully dogs being rehomed in Scotland.
Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhan Brown said officials made “clear” to the UK Government that people in England and Wales “should not use loopholes” to rehome their dogs north of the border.
Breeding, selling, or abandoning the dogs has become illegal south of the border as of December 31.
On February 1, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a certificate.
Owners are being urged to apply for a certificate of exemption for current pets before the January 31 deadline.
Reports suggesting that dogs are being rehomed in Scotland have been branded “concerning" by Brown.
She told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: "It is concerning to hear reports that the XL Bully dog is being moved to Scotland for rehoming.
"We have made it clear to the UK government that people in England and Wales should not use any loopholes that could be created to get rid of their dogs north of the border or anywhere else in the UK."
The First Minister has previously said that "no firm decision" had been made on any Scottish restrictions.
The Scottish Government are currently consulting victims of dog attacks, animal charities, police, and trade unions with no timeline confirmed.
Brown said: "Any dog attack is atrocious, but we need to have a balanced view and we will make a decision based on evidence.
"I've got a dog. If I had an XL bully living next to me, and this is what I would say to everybody, if you've got a rottweiler next to you or a German Shepherd next to you, and you do not feel safe, you should be getting in touch with your local authority if that dog has behavioural problems so that the dog control notice can be put in place.
"But if the dog was under control and was a family member of the house next door, I wouldn't have concerns. I couldn't say that just because of the breed."
Underheugh Ark Rescue, an animal charity in the west of Scotland, shared to followers on social media: “We have seen many ‘pop-up rescues’ moving huge numbers of dogs to Scotland. Dogs are being dumped at police stations, sold on sites after being given away free in England and worst still they are being found dead.”
It comes after one man from the West Midlands repeatedly drove more than 200 miles to Scotland, collecting groups of XL bullies on the journey.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to support the pursuit, Wilkinson has transported around 30 dogs to Scotland so far.
It is unclear where the dogs have been taken to.
However, Bedlay Garden dog home in North Lanarkshire said on social media: “We have rescued a great number of these dogs from shelters, pounds and veterinary clinics from all over the UK over the last few weeks, saving them from being PTS [put to sleep] because of this horrible legislation.”
