XL Bully June deadline is a 'sensible' approach

Owners of the controversial breed must have their dogs neutered by June 30 if they were aged 12 months or older on January 31 this year. 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced on Thursday that in order for owners' Certificates of Exemption to remain valid, the procedure needs to be done. 

If owners do not submit the Confirmation of Neutering form to Defra by July 26, the dog will no longer be exempt. 

This comes after the Government made owning the XL Bully breed a criminal offence in England and Wales if owners don’t have an exemption certificate. 

Michelle Pollitt of Loose Lead Dog Training (Image: Public)

The dogs must also be registered, neutered and kept muzzled and on a lead in public. 

Michelle Pollitt runs Loose Lead Dog Training, which is based in Bolton. She offers XL Bully muzzle training, as well as a variety of other classes and sessions for a range of breeds. 

She said: "The people I have spoken to are being told to wait until the dogs are of a certain age before getting them castrated. 

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"That is fine because if you do dogs too young then you have got the potential for further behavioural problems. 

"I don't disagree, castration and spaying is the best way forward because that's what the Government are going for, for the breed to stop existing. 

"But the people who are sensible, they still have dogs with muzzles, and the people who don't care still have their dogs off the lead in the parks and with no muzzles on." 

A stock image of an XL Bully (Image: PA)

To find out more about Loose Lead, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/looseleaddogtraining/

Michelle added: "I have found, from what owners tell me, that there are a lot more sensible vets who don't get dogs castrated until they need to be. 

"People who have the dogs and are dealing with vets, the vets are saying that over 12 months is about the right age. 

"So the Government seems to be taking a sensible approach to it as well.

"But there was an attack last week somewhere, it is still going to happen because dogs that aren't brought up right have got the potential to do that. 

"Any dog can bite, but just if you get bit by something with a jaw that strong, it has the potential to cause more damage."