XL Bully dogs to be banned in Scotland after huge numbers abandoned over border

Scotland will follow England and Wales by banning XL Bully dogs, First Minister Humza Yousaf has confirmed.

i first revealed last month how owners were taking advantage of a legal loophole to transport XL Bully dogs to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland to escape the ban announced by Rishi Sunak in September.

The Scottish Government said at the time it was satisfied with its existing “dog control notice regime” and that it would need to “carefully consider the evidence” before making any changes.

Conservatives accused the SNP of putting Scottish people at risk by failing to replicate Westminster’s legislation.

Now Mr Yousaf has confirmed a U-turn on the policy saying: “What has become clear, I’m afraid in the last few weeks, is we have seen a flow of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland, a number of people coming to Scotland to bring XL bully dogs here to the country.

“As such, we will give further details to members of the Scottish Parliament through a parliamentary statement if the Parliamentary Bureau agrees next week.

“We will, in essence, replicate the legislation that is in England and Wales here in Scotland because ultimately, although we do have a very good system of dog control notice schemes, and we do take the approach indeed not to breed, we have to respond to the situation as it currently stands and therefore we will do what we need to do to ensure public safety.”

It is not clear at this moment what timeline for new legislation the Scottish government is considering.

XL Bully dogs will become illegal to own without an exemption certificate in England and Wales on 1 February.

Breeding, selling or rehoming the breed became illegal on 31 December.

It follows a string of fatal attacks linked to XL Bully dogs in recent years including the deaths of 52-year-old father Ian Price in Staffordshire and 54-year-old Ian Langley in Sunderland.

Politicians and victims of XL Bully attacks have repeatedly raised concerns about the loophole in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay told i last month he feared the position would lead to more XL Bully dogs and “backyard breeders” moving to Scotland and putting people at risk.

“The SNP have been warned that their refusal to back a sensible UK-wide ban will be exploited,” he said.

“As we are already seeing, the inevitable influx of XL Bullies into Scotland will result in the public being exposed to greater risk.

“Humza Yousaf’s government is playing petty constitutional games, regardless of the fact they’re risking lives. They must urgently re-think their bone-headed position.”

A UK Government spokesperson said at the time: “We have also taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from dog attacks by adding the XL Bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act to reduce the risks to the public posed by this type.

“We are engaging with devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland about whether they plan to take forward a ban.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.