XL bully owners face ban on leaving children under 12 alone with their dogs

A new crackdown on XL bullies and other dangerous dogs will make it illegal to leave children under 12 alone with them in England and Wales.

There has been a spate of attacks on children by dogs from certain dangerous breeds, including one on a 10-year-old girl who died last year after being attacked by the family pet, an XL bully. A nine-month-old baby was also mauled to death last year by a dog of that breed.

Under new legislation, laid in parliament on Tuesday, people who leave children unattended with dangerous dogs face fines and having their dogs seized.

The XL bully, an American pitbull-type breed, is incredibly strong and can weigh up to 60kg (9st 6lb). The breed has been responsible for a spate of attacks. Ownership is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and since 1 February 2024 it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

The animal welfare minister, Sue Hayman, said: “No child should ever be left alone with a dangerous dog. These rules are about putting safety of children first.”

The rules will come into effect on 1 November in an extension of existing restrictions on keeping an exempt dog of a banned breed.

Advice from animal welfare experts is to not allow children to be alone with dogs, no matter the breed. Children are more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults.

Dr Samantha Gaines, an RSPCA dog welfare expert and lead on dog control, said: “Our advice to all parents with dogs is to never leave kids and dogs alone, unsupervised.”

She added: “The bond between dogs and children can be absolutely wonderful, but it’s important to remember that pets and young kids communicate very differently and, no matter how well we think we know our dogs, there are sometimes instances when they bite.”

The animal charity did not support the XL bully ban and was not in favour of banning certain dog breeds. Instead, it wants stricter legislation around keeping dogs and has suggested that dog licences could be reintroduced to enable responsible ownership.

Gaines said: “Children are more likely to get bitten than adults – so we agree with the basis of this requirement, which can also kickstart a public debate around how we keep young children safe around all dogs.