The XL Bully ban is predicted to cost police £25 million in vet and kennel fees this year, as chiefs admit it could take several years to see a reduction in dog attacks.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council have revealed the “huge burden” the ban is having on forces in Britain, after the controversial breed was outlawed last year following a string of fatal attacks.
Speaking ahead of the first anniversary of the ban coming into the force on 1 February, chief constable Mark Hobrough, the NPCC’s lead for dangerous dogs, said forces are facing spiralling kennel costs after 4,586 suspected unregistered banned dogs were seized by police between February and September alone.
Keeping these dogs in kennels costs police an average of £1,000 per month, per dog, until cases reaches court. Amid record court backlogs, they expect costs to soar to £25 million by the end of the financial year – an increase of 500 per cent on £4 million in 2018.
“It’s anticipated that across the 43 forces, the cost for veterinary and kennelling will come to £25 million,” he said.
“That’s just for veterinary and kennelling. It doesn’t account for half a million pounds worth of overtime that’s been spent between February and September last year. It doesn’t account for forces having to buy specialist vehicles, specialist equipment, uplift their dog legislation officers.”
He called for legislative changes to help them cope with soaring demand, including options for out of court disposals in some cases and the ability to recoup costs from owners in court.
They also called for a renewed focus on education around responsible dog ownership, so people choose a breed which suits their lifestyle, environment and experience.
“We will always protect our communities by ensuring these dangerous dogs are dealt with but we urgently need the government to support us in coping with the huge demand the ban has placed on our ever-stretched resources,” he added.
Under the change to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which was strongly opposed by animal welfare groups including RSPCA and Dogs Trust, it became illegal to own an XL bully without a certificate of exemption.
Officials had predicted around 10,000 XL Bully owners would come forward to register their dogs, agreeing to comply with rules including neutering their pet and muzzling them in public, however more than 55,000 were registered.
A further 848 dogs were surrendered by their owners and euthanised after the ban came into force – with no assessment of their dangerousness – costing £340,000 in vet fees, according to the NPCC.
CC Harborough admitted they have not yet seen evidence of a reduction in dog attacks, although official figures are not yet available.
It comes after figures obtained by The Independent last year revealed incidents of out-of-control dogs injuring people or guide dogs had risen by nine per cent in the first five months since the ban.
Patrick O’Hara, the NPCC’s tactical lead for dangerous dogs, agreed no forces have yet reported a reduction in incidents and many are putting in additional staff to cope with demand from policing dangerous dogs.
Since the ban came into force, an additional 100 Dog Liason Officers have been added to forces in England and Wales, with a further 40 to be trained this coming year.
The officers expect numbers of XL Bullies to decrease gradually over time, but warned it will not be an “overnight fix” and will be a “generational change” spanning the lifetime of a dog.
They could also not rule out the risk of unscrupulous breeders circumventing the ban by breeding puppies that do not meet the current legal definition of the height and weight of an XL Bully.
“That’s not going to be an overnight fix,” Mr O’Hara said. “We are probably not going to see a change year on year. We are probably looking at generational change in terms of the life of a dog.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The ban on XL bullies is an important measure to protect public safety, and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions.
“We continue to work with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to prevent dog attacks by encouraging responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog, addressing dog control issues before they escalate and using the full force of the law where needed.”
