A dog owner said it was “outrageous” that her pet was wrongly reported to the police as an “unmuzzled XL Bully”.
Eleisha Serbest, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, claims that her dog Bluey, a pocket bully, was mistakenly reported to the council as a prohibited dog.
Under new laws that came into effect on January 1, XL Bully dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled when out in public.
Serbest received a letter on January 15 from Hertsmere Borough Council after someone complained about her canine to the local authority.
Eleisha Serbest has said that Blue is a Pocket Bully, not an XL
Eleisha Serbest
According to the letter, someone had reported that the dog was “being walked on a lead without a muzzle”.
If she was found guilty of breaking the law, she was cautioned that she would face an unlimited fine, a prison sentence and her pet could be put down.
However, Serbest disputed the claims, stating that Blue, her beloved three-year-old dog, is a Pocket Bully, the smallest type in the American Bully family.
Specifically, the dog is a cross of the American Bully and Patterdale terrier, which means it is excused from new restrictions.
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XL bullies were added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31, 2023
PASunak announced a ban in England and Wales following a spate of attacks which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries.
She also said that she always keeps her dog on the lead and places a muzzle on it when out in public.
Describing her pet, which she named after the children’s show Blue’s Clues, Serbest said: “She’s like another family member. I used to call her the nanny because she would watch the children all day.
“I let them go outside in the garden and she would be on and off the trampoline with them.
“People look at her and think she’s vicious, that she’s going to bite you.
XL Bullys (not pictured) must be kept on a lead and in a muzzled whilst in public
Flickr
“Blue is so playful and would never harm other dogs.”
XL bullies were added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31, 2023.
Owners in England and Wales were given two months to prepare for restrictions.
As well as keeping them on a lead and in a muzzle whilst in public, selling, breeding, abandoning or giving them away is now illegal.
Owners have until January 31 to apply for an exemption certificate to keep their dog.
They will also need to have it neutered, microchipped and insured.
Those in England and Wales without an exemption will have to euthanise their dog or face a possible criminal record and fine.
