Police send letter to XL Bully owners to remind them of new law

Police officers in Northamptonshire are sending letters to XL Bully owners across the county to remind them of the new government rules.

Following an announcement from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) last year, on December 31, 2023, it became against the law to:

• Sell an XL Bully dog
• Abandon an XL Bully dog
• Give away an XL Bully dog
• Have an XL Bully dog in a public place without a lead and muzzle

And from February 1, 2024, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales unless you have a Certificate of Exemption for your dog.

Police officers in Northamptonshire are now writing to all of the XL Bully owners known to them to remind them that if they want to keep their dog after the ban, that they must apply for a Certificate of Exemption.

Owners have until 31 January 2024 to do this. Apply here: Apply for a Certificate of Exemption to keep an XL Bully dog - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “We understand that this government announcement has caused dog owners some worry so we want to do as much as we can to remind owners of what the new change in legislation means.

“If you have an XL Bully, we would urge you to register your dog under the exemption scheme before the deadline, or you may be subject to prosecution and seizure. This is the last thing we would want to enforce so please do as much as you can to get your application in before the deadline of January 31, 2024.”

Northamptonshire Police remains committed to educating owners on the ban, if you have any questions about it please email: [email protected].