Glasgow Green to host pro XL bully protest

A protest against the ban of XL bullies will take place tomorrow on Glasgow Green, with attendees hoping to stop the looming ban on the controversial breed.

Starting from 1pm, protestors will march from the green to Buchanan Galleries to support all banned breeds.

Rishi Sunak is looking to add XL bullies to its list of prohibited dogs by the end of the year following a series of attacks that saw six people lose their lives this year.

The Prime Minister said: “The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children. I share the nations horror.

“It’s clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behavior and it cannot go on.”

Since 2021, 11 lives have been claimed by the breed and many more have been injured.

Adam Watts, 55, who was killed in December 2021 in Dundee is the only Scottish victim of the 11.

The Scottish government is yet to make a concrete decision and will “consider more voices” before setting a timescale.

According to charities like All Bullie Charity Rescue, the problem lies not with the animals but with their owners.

At the protest will be Kerryanne Shaw, chairperson of All Bullie Charity Rescue, who told the Glasgow Standard:

“I think us coming together and making our voices heard in a respectable way will reflect the dogs well.

“We’ve already seen a massive increase of dogs, especially XL bullies being dumped.

“There were eight dogs drowned in rivers around Manchester, so we feel this is going to massively increase.

“Please be open minded, meet an XL bully before you judge them! A lot of people have never even met an XL bully so they can’t judge a dog they’ve never interacted with.

“If you see an XL bully in the street don’t be afraid to ask the owner about the dog.

“I’m quite sure their mind would be changed, that they’re not inherently dangerous and that they are loving and very friendly, they absolutely adore people.”

The charity is calling for an introduction of a licensing system rather than the outright ban on bullies.

This would mean irresponsible owners will be the ones banned instead of the canines they control.

The “bully family” of dogs includes many breeds such as Staffordshire terriers, bulldogs, and rottweilers, all of which are seen as ‘dangerous breeds’.

One of the families breeds, the pit bull terrier, is already on the list of prohibited dogs.

It was the first to be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The XL Bully is actually a crossbreed that can include terriers, American bulldogs, and mastiffs; all closely related breeds.

An owner of a bully breed who wished to remain anonymous said that misinformation and assumptions have a negative effect on the dog’s reputation.

She said: “It’s really sad, a lot of breeds are just misunderstood.

“Staffies (Staffordshire terriers) are actually known as the nanny dog because of how good they are with children, but people don’t know that.

“They’re actually a top three family pet”

“Every trainer I work with says it’s nothing to do with the animals but to do with the owners.

“If poorly trained, any dog can be dangerous.”

Breeding of new XL bullies will be prohibited once the ban goes ahead in England.

For current dogs, the chief veterinary officer has said there will be an exemption scheme, meaning they will not be seized by police provided they are proven not to be a danger to the public.

All XL Bullies will have to be registered under this scheme before the end of a transition period.

There are still 3499 banned dogs living in the UK thanks to the exemption scheme. Just 13 of these live in Scotland.

Until Humza Yousaf announces his government’s decision, Scottish XL bully owners are not required to register their pets.

Tomorrows protesters hope that they can convince Yousaf and his government to block the ban in Scotland.