For the first time, camera crews were invited into a private kennel housing XL Bully dogs seized by police or abandoned since the 2024 ban, according to multiple reports. The facility, one of seven run by the same company, together holds more than 500 XL Bullies. Footage shows 120 dangerous dogs, either banned breeds or highly aggressive, locked in metal cages at the facility. According to Daily Mail - Home, a staff member named Mark described that the kennel granted access to help people understand the societal problem.
The government banned XL Bully breeds in 2024, allowing owners to keep them only under strict regulations including neutering and registration, according to research. Since 31 December 2023, it has been illegal to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully in England and Wales, according to research. It is currently illegal to own an XL Bully in the UK without a valid certificate of exemption. The government received 61,000 exemption applications before the deadline, with owners applying for exemption having to buy insurance, microchip their dog, and pay £92.40 per animal, according to research. Registered dogs must be housed securely, neutered, and kept on a lead and muzzled in public, but not at home, according to research. Similar restrictions apply in Scotland since 23 February 2024, with an exemption deadline of 31 July, and in Northern Ireland, XL bullies must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public since 5 July 2024, with an exemption deadline of 31 December 2024, according to research. Requirements for owners of exempt XL bullies are the same across the whole UK, and breaking rules in Scotland or Northern Ireland can result in up to six months in prison and/or a fine, according to research. Police can seize unregistered prohibited dogs, with owners facing up to six months in jail and/or an unlimited fine, according to research.
Staff at a specialist kennel dread the phone ringing during school holidays when dog bites and attacks increase.
Dog attacks have been rising every year since 2018. There were almost 11,000 hospital admissions for dog bites in England in 2023-24, with dog attacks resulting in more than 600 hospital admissions in Wales and more than 1,100 in Scotland, according to research. There were seven deaths caused by dog attacks in England and Wales in 2023-24, but this is an underestimate due to registration delays, according to research. At least six people were killed in attacks involving XL Bullies in the 12 months following the ban. The previous government said XL bullies were 'disproportionately involved' in deaths recorded since 2021, and in several cases, XL bullies are known to have killed their owners and children, according to research. In two days, kennel staff were called to 39 separate dog attacks, 17 involving XL bullies, leaving nine people with life-changing injuries, according to research. According to Daily Mail - Home, Mark described that staff have seen many life-changing injuries from dog attacks in the last three years.
Police say enforcing the ban is a 'huge burden' on forces, according to research. Private specialist kennels are regularly used to hold seized or abandoned XL bullies since the ban, according to research. 400 XL bully dogs have been euthanised since the ban came into force, with £76,500 paid in compensation to owners, and 57,277 exemption certificates have been issued to owners who want to keep their pet, with conditions including neutering, microchipping, and muzzling in public, according to research. Police believe attacks are likely to get worse before they improve as dogs bought before the ban reach maturity.
Staff are sometimes called to seize dogs that are still with the bodies of their victims, with incidents involving children being particularly hard.
Inside the kennel, cages have colored signs indicating aggression levels, with green for least and black for most dangerous, according to multiple reports. Before the ban, 90% of dogs were graded green, but now only two out of 120 have this grade, according to multiple reports. A sign on a black-graded dog's cage warns it is dangerously out of control, bit a neighbor on the face, and breached exemption, and another sign indicates a bite score of five, potentially fatal, according to multiple reports. Being locked up makes some dogs more aggressive or causes self-harm, according to multiple reports. One dog broke out of its kennel into the next one the week before filming, and according to The Independent - Main, a kennel owner described an incident where an XL Bully burst through its metal cage, demonstrating the breed's destructive capability. The facility is always at capacity, with XL Bullies overwhelmingly filling the cages in recent years, according to multiple reports.
There are no official figures for the number of XL bullies in the UK, according to research. Previous estimates of XL bully numbers in the UK were too low; the government increased its estimate from 10,000 to about 50,000 earlier this year, according to research. Some animal charities say the number of XL bullies could be as high as 100,000, meaning tens of thousands remain unaccounted for, according to research.
The kennel granted access to BBC Panorama to help people understand the societal problem.
Animal welfare charities argue banning breeds does not work and other measures are needed to stop fatal dog attacks, according to research. Dogs Trust calls for an overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act, saying it is ineffective and does little to protect the public, according to a Dogs Trust spokesperson. Better monitoring of puppy breeding and selling, and mandatory licensing for dog sales, are needed according to Dogs Trust. According to BBC News - England, a dog welfare charity manager named Sue Smith described that she does not believe banning a specific breed will ever work, as people may simply switch to another breed.
A woman in her 50s, named locally as Angel Mahal, was mauled to death by her two XL bully dogs at her home in Hornchurch, east London, according to research. The two dogs were registered under the exemption process and were seized after being contained in a room, according to research. Relatives had asked the woman to get rid of the animals before the tragedy, according to The Sun reported. According to www.theguardian.com, a neighbour named Sejal Solanki described that neighbours warned their child the XL bully dogs were dangerous.
Staff have seen many life-changing injuries from dog attacks in the last three years.
A dog rescue charity is under relenting pressure to help rescue large dog breeds following the XL Bully ban, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary. There has been a sharp rise in calls to help unwanted Cane Corso dogs and other big breeds, with 15 Cane Corso-type dogs on the waiting list, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary. According to BBC News - England, a charity representative named Helen LeCointe described that breeds like Cane Corso are becoming increasingly popular because they look the part, taking over from XL Bullies in popularity. The charity is caring for a two-year-old Cane Corso named Jago, who arrived in 2025 with cropped ears and tail, according to multiple reports. Jago might look intimidating but is a sensitive soul frightened by loud noises, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary. Cane Corso breeds can weigh up to eight stone, and in inexperienced hands, their size, strength, and energy are a cause for concern, but in the right home, Cane Corsos can be sociable, loving, and active loyal companions, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary. Breeds of this size are hard to house and walk due to their strength, often lacking training when they arrive, and there is a shortage of homes for dogs of this size, and they tend to stay at the sanctuary for a long time, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary. The charity urges pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs as the most effective way to reduce demand, and from 1 April, for a limited time, the charity is reducing the cost of spaying and neutering for Cane Corsos and other specific breeds for eligible owners, according to Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary.
An XL bully is the largest kind of American bully dog, not a specific breed, with a muscular body and blocky head, according to research. Male XL dogs stand from 20in (51cm) high at the shoulder, with females slightly smaller, according to research.
Breeds like Cane Corso are becoming increasingly popular because they look the part, taking over from XL Bullies in popularity.
Official figures do not break down the number of attacks or deaths by type of dog, according to research. This data limitation means it is unclear how many of the hospital admissions for dog bites in 2023-24 involved XL Bullies or other banned breeds.
The long-term impact of the ban on the popularity and breeding of other large breeds like Cane Corsos remains uncertain, as does the fate of seized XL Bullies in private kennels, with questions over how many will be euthanized versus rehomed or returned to owners. The effectiveness of specific measures beyond breed bans in reducing fatal dog attacks is also debated among experts.
It is extremely difficult to take these dogs because of their size and strength.
A dog welfare charity manager does not believe banning a specific breed will ever work, as people may simply switch to another breed.
The kennel owner described an incident where an XL Bully burst through its metal cage, demonstrating the breed's destructive capability.
The kennel owner expressed concern about an increase in dog bite incidents during holiday periods.
Neighbours warned their child the XL bully dogs were dangerous.