A vet has suggested more dogs could face the same fate as XL Bullies, which will be banned UK-wide by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to make it illegal to own, breed or sell the large canines earlier this month following a spate of attacks โ some of which were fatal. "It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, itโs a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on," Sunak said on September 15.
But Dr Karyn Kanowski, Veterinarian Editor at PetKeen.com, said outlawing the dogs won't necessarily solve the problem. "The XL Bully itself is not even a recognised breed, so all it will take is for some opportunistic people to start breeding dogs with different enough looks to not be classified as XL Bullies and the same issue can happen again," she said.
READ MORE: Fate of your XL Bully pet when ban on 'devil' dog breed comes into force
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Asked which dogs could be made illegal next, she said: "Any dog with a powerful enough bite could be on the list. If another breed is going to be banned, it will be whatever takes over from the XL Bully.
"Unless the dog fighting is stopped, there will be a demand for dangerous dogs," she continued. "There seems to be an increased popularity in the overly large, mastiff/bulldog appearance."
Dr Kanowski also said smaller dogs are "anecdotally" more likely to bite people than larger breeds. "If we were going to ban breeds based purely on the number of bites inflicted on humans, there would be no chihuahuas, no Jack Russell Terriers, no dachshunds [and] no collies," she added.
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However, the little pooches' less powerful teeth often "barely break the skin," meaning chihuahuas and Jack Russells are unlikely to find themselves on the banned dogs list any time soon. "The government isn't banning dogs because they bite, they are banning dogs that have the capacity to kill people," Dr Kanowski added.
The vet said she'd "never known" there to be so many dog attacks as there have been over the last 12 months. Earlier this week, dog walker Christine Potts' face was mauled as she tried to rescue her pooches from a pair of XL Bullies.
It's the latest in a wave of vicious incidents involving the breed. Repairman Ian Price was killed in an XL Bully attack in Stonnall earlier this month, while mum Cammy Maguire said her eight-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Beau, was mauled to death by an XL Bully puppy in southwest London.
Following the attacks Sunak announced he had asked ministers to consult police and experts about the breed "with the view to then outlawing it". Once this happens, XL Bullies will join the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro on the banned dogs list, the Daily Star previously reported.
Anyone with a banned dog can have their pooch confiscated by police or the local council dog warden. Police don't need a warrant to seize your dog if it is in a public place.
Dr Kanowski said muzzle training and discounted neutering are already being offered to XL Bully owners ahead of the ban. She also said dog shelters were being "inundated" with the dogs following the Prime Minister's announcement.
"Unless there has been a problem, or signs of aggressive behaviour, people shouldn't have to give up their pets," she continued.
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