Dog owners gathered with their extra-large Bully breed puppies in a Birmingham park to go on a peaceful walk to support this dog breed.
A couple of weeks ago, ITV News Central reported that a girl and two men were injured by a mixed breed puppy that was part Bully XL and part Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Birmingham.
In a different incident a few days later, a 52-year-old man named Ian Price passed away in the hospital after being attacked by two dogs believed to be XL Bully breeds near a primary school in Stonnall, Staffordshire.
A group of people came together at Handsworth Park to demonstrate their support for the breed, showing that these dogs are actually very gentle, even though there have been recent attacks. There are discussions about making this breed illegal due to these incidents.
Jake Harris, who organized the event, has an XL Bully and talked to us about why his pet is important to him.
He mentioned, “He’s the best dog I could have. He’s everything I wanted in a dog. I didn’t get a dog for any other reason than to help me during difficult times. Now, he’s become a crucial part of my mental well-being. If you give these dogs time, love, and care, you’ll see they don’t pose any harm. They’re just big, gentle babies, and my dog helps me through a lot.”
Many people attended the event in the park with their pets.
Regarding the proposed ban, Mr. Harris expressed, “In my opinion, it shouldn’t happen. It’s completely wrong. They’re trying to label too many dogs as XL Bullies to ban them. These dogs aren’t dangerous; they don’t have a natural instinct to attack. None of the XL Bullies I’ve met have shown aggression. They just love playing with sticks or ropes until they’re tired. Banning this breed is a mistake.”
Christina Harris, Jake’s mother, also attended the gathering and said, “XL Bullies were bred to be family dogs. I understand they are big and might look intimidating, but if you approach them properly and know how to handle dogs, you’ll see they are friendly. If you don’t know how to approach dogs, you shouldn’t have any pet. There’s no need to ban these breeds. Any dog can become aggressive; it’s not specific to Bullies.”
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to ban this breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year due to a series of attacks. However, owners are not expected to have their pets euthanized. Instead, there might be requirements such as neutering and muzzling them in public. The government plans to consult on these measures and introduce a transition period for compliance.
