Lincolnshire Police sharing government advice to XL Bully type dog owners

Changes to the banned dog laws will include XL Bully type dogs from February 1 2024.

To help current owners adapt to the new laws, these changes have come into force in two stages.

Since December 31, 2023, it is now against the law in England and Wales to:

sell an XL Bully dog
abandon an XL Bully dog
give away an XL Bully dog
breed from an XL Bully dog
have an XL Bully dog in public (and in a car) without a lead and muzzle

From February 1, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully type dog in England and Wales unless your dog has a Certificate of Exemption.

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has published official guidance which urges those who own an XL Bully or a dog with XL Bully characteristics can apply for a Certificate of Exemption online, by email or post.

You must pay an application fee and have third party public liability insurance for banned breeds of dogs. This can be provided by the Dogs Trust and the policy must be renewed annually at £25 a year.

If applying for an exemption via post or email, you will have to ensure the application is with DEFRA by Monday (January 15, 2024).

If applying online, owners have until 12noon on January 31, 2024.

The application form and more information is available here.

Acting Chief Inspector Carrie Diamond said: “Lincolnshire Police, have been working closely with partners ahead of the new laws to promote responsible ownership and will be issuing guidance and reminders to owners that their dogs will need to be registered by January 31, 2024.

"As a force we understand that there are concerns in relation to the new laws and we want responsible owners to be able to keep their dogs.

"We are therefore encouraging owners to read and understand the DEFRA guidance and take the necessary steps to stay within the law to prevent their dog being seized.

“If you believe your dog has the defined characteristic set out by the government, or you are aware your dog is an XL Bully, we are requesting that you apply for an exemption certificate as soon as possible.”

For more information, visit the government website on preparing for the ban on XL Bully dogs here.