00:00 The American XL Bully Dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children.
00:05 I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen.
00:08 Yesterday we saw another suspected XL Bully Dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality.
00:15 It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs.
00:17 It's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.
00:21 Days after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced her intention to get the dog breed,
00:26 American XL Bully, banned in the UK amid the increasing number of fatal attacks,
00:31 the UK PM Rishi Sonak announced that the American XL Bully Dogs are a danger to communities and will be banned.
00:39 As another man was mauled to death in the UK, the Prime Minister said that he shared the nation's horror
00:44 at such attacks and that it cannot be allowed to continue.
00:48 Mr Sonak was responding to the latest incident in which a man died after being savaged by two dogs
00:54 outside a property in Stonall, Staffordshire on Thursday afternoon.
00:59 So, why are XL Bully Dogs killing machines?
01:03 Historically created to be a killing machine to fight other dogs in the ring,
01:07 the animal has now emerged as one of Britain's increasingly popular and beloved pets.
01:13 But experts warn the controversial breed is uncontrollable,
01:16 as proven by a string of savage attacks on both dogs and humans in the past few years.
01:22 Believed to have been brought over from the US in 2014,
01:26 police are said to have attempted to seize the dog but failed because it was different to the banned pit bull.
01:32 The average dog weighs 60 kgs and they are genetically engineered through breeding with just one purpose in mind.
01:39 They were specifically designed to go into a pit and kill another dog.
01:45 They are more likely to be aggressive.
01:47 It does not mean that compared to others, compared to a Labrador or a Collie,
01:50 it's more likely they will display aggressive tendencies.
01:54 The genetic makeup of the dog is often unknown due to constant breeding,
01:58 making their temperament unpredictable.
02:00 There is no clear figure for how many of these dogs are currently owned in the country,
02:05 as they have been crossbred with American Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and American Staffordshire Terriers
02:11 to become supersized with a muscular and strong stature.
02:15 They have become a status symbol, used as guard dogs by many owners.
02:20 What would the ban mean for the owners of XL Bullies?
02:24 The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits people from owning or having custody of dogs belonging to types bred for fighting,
02:32 as well as imposing restrictions on such dogs to enable restrictions to be imposed in relation to other types of dogs
02:37 which present a serious danger to the public and to make sure that dogs are kept under proper control.
02:43 Owners of XL Bullies could face either a prison term or a fine if found guilty.
02:48 A person guilty of something other than an aggravated offence is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of up to 6 months or a fine.
02:56 However, a person guilty of an aggravated offence could be liable to imprisonment for exceeding 6 months or a fine for a summary conviction.
03:04 A conviction on indictment could mean that owners could ultimately face up to 2 years in prison.
03:09 However, an individual could face up to 14 years in prison if a person dies as a result of being injured,
03:15 5 years in any other case where a person is injured or 3 years in any case where an assistance dog is injured.
03:21 If someone owns a banned dog, the police or local council dog warden can take it away and keep it.
03:27 [Music]
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