‘I’m a vet – putting down XL Bullies is taking a toll on our mental health’
A vet has said that many in his profession are “fed up” with having to euthanise healthy XL Bully dogs, with some “refusing point blank” following the introduction of a ban on the breed.
Dr Fabian Rivers, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Young Vet of the Year 2020, said: “It is not our job to put healthy animals to sleep, and it is not in our code of conduct.”
Since 1 February, anyone found in possession of an American XL Bully could face criminal proceedings and an unlimited fine unless their animal is registered as exempt.
Owners who chose to have their dogs euthanised instead of applying for an exemption were offered £200 towards the cost of the procedure.
According to government figures, as of February 1 there had been 117 compensation claims for owners putting their XL Bully dogs to sleep.
The number is lower than many veterinarians had anticipated before the legislation was passed into law.
But Dr Rivers said that “emotionally very labour intensive” decisions were still bringing up “mental health concerns” for those in the profession, who fear that XL Bully dogs which are not euthanised may end up being abandoned.
“We are now having to carry the thought that if we are not putting a healthy animal to sleep, what else happens to the potential welfare of that animal?
“Will it go through less transparent forms of euthanasia? So you are having to fight that balance… They are fed up and some are just refusing point blank, although there will still be some in the practice that will euthanise.”
Since the ban came into force, there have been a number of reports claiming XL Bullies have been left on the street by their owners.
The comments come after 68-year-old-grandmother, Esther Martin, was killed in a suspected XL Bully dog attack in Essex.
Vets have questioned whether new legislation will effectively prevent similar attacks in the future.
The president of the British Veterinary Association, Dr Anna Judson, said the ban was a “short-term fix to what we believe is a long-term issue”.
“There is the potential for the problem to be transferred to a different breed in the future,” Dr Judson added, “which will not tackle the awful dog biting moving forward.
She called on the Government to “completely overhaul” the Dangerous Dog Act to better stamp out irresponsible breeding and improve enforcement measures.
Vets are not obliged to put an animal to sleep and i has established that a number of clinics across the country have publicly stated they will not euthanise a healthy XL Bully dog.
Some clinics have reportedly received death threats after saying they would euthanise the dogs.
