Veteran faces ‘abuse and threats’ from XL Bully owner over ban

The president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has said vets are facing “abuse and threats” from owners of XL bullies after the breed was banned.

Anna Judson says speed ban Creating a “very emotional atmosphere” and “some really challenging situations”.

She said the BVA was “very concerned” the ban was a “short-term solution to a larger problem” and risked “shifting the problem to another breed in the future”.

Ms Judson told Claire Balding in Channel 4’s report on Crufts that it was “very surprising” that the association had not been consulted about the ban.

Ms Judson added that the BVA is calling for an overhaul of dangerous dog legislation with “a greater focus on responsible dog breeding and responsible dog ownership”.

Ms Judson said: “One of the concerns of the British Veterinary Medical Association is the speed with which the ban is being implemented.

“This creates some very challenging situations and it puts vets, rescue charities and owners of XL Bullies in a very stressful situation.

“What ensued was a very emotional atmosphere and unfortunately this has spilled over into some abuse and threats from the veterinary team and vets.

“So one of the things we respectfully ask is that even when people are feeling stressed, they pay attention to how they act and what they say.

“Be kind and courteous to your veterinary team, especially as we approach the spay/neuter deadline.”

read more:
Experts predict how XL bullying ban will change things in 2024
Owner of dog that killed grandmother wants them ‘eradicated’
Are you ready to give these “cute” XL bully dogs a home?

What does the ban enforce?

From February 1, it will be a criminal offense in England and Wales to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate – owners can obtain an exemption certificate after proving that their XL Bully has been neutered by June 30.

Owners without a dog certificate may face fines, prosecution, or even see their pets confiscated.

Ms Judson said: “We strongly advise owners of XL Bullies to get in touch with their veterinarian.”

“And working with them to make sure that we can stagger the numbers in the sterilization process so that we don’t have bottlenecks and some capacity issues that just again exacerbate everyone’s emotional state.”