The British government plans to ban a breed of dog after a series of attacks on humans. “It is clear that this is not about a handful of poorly trained dogs. It is a pattern of behavior and it cannot continue like this,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a video.
The government leader refers to an attack on Thursday in which a man died. This probably involved an American bully XL, the largest type of American bully in existence. The dog breed is the result of crosses with American bulldogs and English bulldogs, among others.
Girl of 11
Last week, an 11-year-old girl and two men were also attacked by a dog of the same breed. In the United Kingdom, several children have been bitten to death by an American bully XL in recent years. British media report that the number of dog attacks has increased in recent years.
Four dog breeds are currently banned in the UK.
According to Sunak, it is clear that the American bully XL ‘is a danger to our communities, especially our children’. It is now being determined exactly which breed of dog was involved in the attacks. As soon as this is known, a legal ban will be introduced. According to Sunak, this will happen before the end of the year.
Four dog breeds are currently banned in the UK. These are the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro.
The Netherlands
No dog breeds are specifically banned in the Netherlands. However, a breeding ban applies to, for example, dogs that have proven difficulty breathing, such as the pug. The ministry wants to ban even more characteristics that are certain to be harmful to the animal. The intention is to start with a small list of characteristics, which will be supplemented in the future based on research.
In the Netherlands, a baby was bitten to death by a dog at the end of last month. This involved the pet of the baby’s parents.
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