Decapitated, floating in a cage and ‘left for dead’: XL bully cruelty reports surge since ban

Reports of intentional harm to XL bullies have soared since the breed was banned, with the RSPCA saying some have been “left for dead” in rivers and parks.

XL bullies were outlawed in England and Wales at the start of the year after attacks in which people died or were injured.

Since then, the dogs have been abandoned, neglected and even killed, according to the animal charity.

It said the body and head of a decapitated XL bully-type dog were found in a shallow grave in Evesham, Worcestershire, last month.

And last week, one dog with blood on its nose and around its mouth was found abandoned and tied up in a field in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

The charity’s welfare officer, Jess Barron, said they fear the dog was “left for dead”.

Tens of thousands of XL bully-type dogs were exempted by their owners and are now living under strict rules such as always requiring a lead, muzzle in public and being neutered.

The RSPCA said that in the first eight months of this year it received 103 reports of intentional harm to XL bullies.

That’s an increase of 164% on the 39 in the same period in 2023.

There was also a 692% increase in reports of XL bullies being abandoned – 103 compared with 13 last year.

Reports of neglect also increased substantially, with 366 this year – up from 108 in 2023 before the ban took effect.

Recent incidents include:

• A dead XL bully with head injuries in a Middlesbrough park in June;
• A cage carrying a dead XL bully floating in a Birmingham canal, also in June;
• An XL bully puppy dead in a cage in Bexleyheath in January, with blunt force trauma to the head;
• Also in January, one of the dogs was found dead in a south London alleyway with a fractured skull

‘Increasingly demonised’

Dr Samantha Gaines, the RSPCA’s lead on breed-specific legislation, described the figures as “very concerning”.

“We’ve seen an increase generally in reports of serious abuse to animals – particularly intentional harm and beatings – but the increase in reports relating specifically to XL bully-types is very alarming and we fear this is a direct result of the recent UK government ban on this type of dog,” she said.

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“This could be a result of the extra pressures this ban has placed on desperate owners who may already be struggling to care for their dogs during this cost of living crisis,” Dr Gaines added.

“But even worse, these could be deliberate acts of cruelty towards dogs who have become increasingly demonised in recent months.

“We’re also heartbroken that many dogs have been and will be put to sleep simply because they are considered to be dangerous because they look a certain way.”