Overview
It is a criminal offence to keep an XL Bully dog without a valid Certificate of Exemption.
It is also an offence to:
- have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle
- breed or breed from an XL Bully
- sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully
- abandon an XL Bully or let it stray
Applications for a Certificate of Exemption have closed. New exemptions can only be granted by a court order.
Warning
If you break these rules, you may be fined up to £5,000, sent to prison for up to 6 months, or both.
Check if a dog is an XL Bully
Use our guide to check if a dog is an XL Bully.
Report a stray, abandoned or out of control dog
If you find a stray, abandoned or out of control dog of any breed, report it to your local council.
They’ll work with the police if they think the dog is an XL Bully.