00:00At midnight tonight, England and Wales will begin cracking down on so-called XL Bully dogs.
00:05The breed is the subject of a controversial ban which goes into effect February 1st.
00:10Any XL Bully owners who want to keep their dogs will need an exemption requiring the animals to
00:14be neutered, muzzled in public, and subject to liability insurance, according to the BBC.
00:19The ban was announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in September of last year.
00:24Today I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts
00:27to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it.
00:33The UK's Office for National Statistics says that 16 people were killed in dog attacks last year,
00:38though the government does not record which breeds are responsible.
00:41Sonia Falero says her husband was injured trying to protect their pet Jack Russell Terrier
00:46from bullies that were mauling it to death.
00:47And even as he was wrestling this dog and trying to free Zoe from the jaws of the dog,
00:53the other two dogs jumped into the fray and attempted to grab Zoe just like she was a toy
01:01and they were going to tear her apart.
01:03But owners like Terry Wigsell say their dogs are unfairly demonised.
01:07You can't just judge him because of the way he looks, you know.
01:10I get judged constantly, you know, obviously, let alone my dog, obviously.
01:14And put us both together, we're both being judged.
01:17Samantha Gaines spoke on behalf of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
01:21The RSPCA absolutely agrees that we need urgent action to protect public safety,
01:27but we strongly oppose breed-specific legislation.
01:30Breed is not a good or reliable indicator of risk of aggressive behaviour.
01:35And veterinarian David Martin told The Independent that the law could lead to more bullies being kept hidden indoors,
01:40which could lead to more attacks by dogs frustrated by lack of exercise.
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