A blanket ban on American XL Bully dogs has been branded “not feasible” by a dog behaviour expert in a warning to Rishi Sunak.
It comes after the Prime Minister promised that the breed will be banned by the end of the year in response to a series of attacks.
The decision has been widely backed, with campaign groups and the Labour Party throwing their weight behind the decision.
Speaking on GB News, dog behaviour expert Nanci Creedon made her scepticism clear as she assessed how the move may look.
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“It is such a complex topic, there are so many factors contributing to what is going on”, she said.
“An immediate blanket ban isn’t going to be very feasible. I don’t know where they’re going to put these thousands of dogs.
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“The practicalities of it is what is immediately worrying. Are they just going to blanket euthanise dogs left, right and centre without what the breed of the dog actually is?
“The logistics of it doesn’t make too much sense. We need to know more.”
Creedon gave a scathing assessment on how effective banning a breed of dog is when it comes to halting dog attacks, dubbing Rishi Sunak’s decision “foolish”.
“The effectiveness of just banning a breed to stop dog attacks is foolish”, she said.
Another image of an American Bully XLWiki Commons images/ Colbyallenswecker“We’re going to suddenly start banning dogs that are actually very friendly.
“We’re not actually tackling the issue that is out of control dogs of any size cause a threat.
“Yes, the bigger the dog is, the more significant the threat is going to be. The lack of owner education and lack of public education in what to do in these situations is where I think we’re falling down massively.”
Questions remain as to how exactly a ban will be implemented and enforced, with concerns about the challenge of defining the dog breed given its cross-bred nature.
Britons have been divided on the issue, with some claiming that the responsibility should lie with the owner.
Sunak used a video on social media to promise that the Government would “ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.
“These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe,” he said.
While some groups have backed the move, others, like the RSPCA and the Kennel Club, said banning American XL Bully dogs would not stop attacks.
Some suggest an “amnesty period” could be implemented, with claims that this would see an outright ban take effect in 2025.
This was the approach taken in the passed when pitbulls were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act in the 1990s.
