XL bully: Newport landowner welcomes owners as ban starts

XL bully owners are walking their dogs in private fields without a lead or muzzle as a new UK-wide ban begins.

As of Thursday, it is illegal to own the breed without an exemption certificate and they have to be on a lead and muzzled in public places.

But Rebecca Harris, who owns a private field in Newport, said XL bullies could run free on her land with their owners.

The UK government said its ban would protect people after what it called a disproportionate number of attacks.

Joshua Simmons, 27, owns Quba, a three-year-old XL bully.

He tries to bring him to the secure field every weekend because "he gets abused when we're walking and it's really sad".

"We get told that he should be dead, that he should be put to sleep, that he shouldn't be allowed on the streets, that he's an aggressive and dangerous dog and they don't even know him," he added.

"He doesn't want to go for a walk when he has a muzzle on, he shivers and cowers down, it's horrible to see, but once he's up here he's like a new puppy again."

Josh, who has a certificate of exemption for Quba, said the field was a "lifeline".

He disagrees with the ban, saying it was in response to "all these wannabe gangsters who breed these dogs to do nasty things".

Some animal welfare organisations have argued clamping down on illegal breeding, combined with stronger enforcement and sentencing for irresponsible breeders, would be more effective than a ban.

XL bullies are the fifth breed to be restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the deadline to apply for a certificate of exemption expired on Wednesday.

Police can now seize unregistered, prohibited dogs and owners face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

There are no official statistics for how many XL bullies there are in the UK, but the RSPCA said estimates vary between 40,000 and 100,000.

In the run-up to the deadline, the UK government said more than 30,000 exemption applications had been received, adding that it had commissioned a review on responsible dog ownership.

Owner of Bassaleg Dog Walking Field, Rebecca Harris, said the ban was "disappointing and upsetting" for responsible owners, but also recognised that XL bullies "not under proper control are potentially a danger to society".

She added: "It's important that these dogs are treated as dogs, they need the space where they can run without a lead, without a muzzle, but also not be any danger to anybody else, of any concern for their owners."

She said her insurers were happy for XL bully dogs to be off a lead and without a muzzle within the confines of the field, which is surrounded by secure fencing and several gates.

XL bullies are not allowed in public areas without a muzzle and lead and she does not allow group walks.

The deadline for re-homing an XL bully was 31 December, which means they can no longer be taken to an animal shelter and anyone not wanting to keep their dog needs to take it to a vet to be put down.

Director of Vale Veterinary Centre Richard Williams said his team had already faced difficult moments, including putting down a very young XL bully.

He said: "Unfortunately, the new owners could not fit or meet the requirements of the new legislation, and the team were obviously upset, many were in tears, and one of our vets took everyone aside after putting this dog to sleep and basically explained this won't be the last time we have to do this and how does everyone feel."

A rescue centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf spoke of its "devastation" on Wednesday after staff were obliged to put down a 10-month old unclaimed XL bully called Coconut, saying the puppy had "never put a paw wrong".