The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunakhas announced that his Government will make it illegal to own dogs of the breed American Bully XLafter a series of attacks against people that have revived the debate about the control that can be exercised over certain types of animals that exhibit a certain “behavioral pattern.”
“The American Bully XL dog is a danger to our community, especially to children,” Sunak explained, arguing that it is not just “a handful of poorly trained dogs” and that action needs to be taken “urgently.” As a first task, the Government will have to “define” exactly the type of dog it wants to ban – it does not appear as a breed in any official list – something that Sunak hopes to conclude “quickly”.
The prime minister has alluded in his message, published on his account on the social network Walsall and that has caused the death of a man. Both Sunak and the Home Secretary, Suella Bravermanhave identified the dogs that assaulted the victim as American Bully XL.
British police arrested a 60-year-old owner this week after his dog attacked an eleven-year-old girl in Birmingham, in an incident that also resulted in injuries to two men who came to the aid of the minor. These types of animals can weigh more than 60 kilos and, if Sunak’s request is successful, they will join a blacklist that for now only includes four other breeds.