The XL bully ban is now in force affecting owners across Lincolnshire and Newark
The decision to ban XL bully dogs was made following a concerning rise in attacks from these dangerous dogs.
The XL bully dog ban has now come into force, meaning owners have to have registered or exempt their dog, as the Government takes action to manage the existing population of the breed.
From February 1, today, it is a criminal offence to own an XL bully in England and Wales without a certificate.
The ban follows restrictions which came into force at the end of last year which means the dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
Breeding, selling or abandoning the dogs also became illegal as of December 31.
To have qualified for an exemption certificate, owners must have proven their XL bully has been neutered by June 30.
If anyone has a pup which is less than a year old, they must have be neutered by the end of 2024, and evidence that they have done so must be provided.
As well as neutering their animals, XL bully owners who have an exemption, will have also had to pay an application fee, hold third party public liability insurance for their pets, and ensure the dogs are microchipped.
Pamela Dempsey is a Canine Behaviour Expert who runs Impackt Behaviour in Grimsby and tells us her thoughts on the ban:
"Well, something needed to be done because of the high number of fatalities that were that were put down to the XL bullies, but this is definitely the wrong thing that we did.
"It isn't going to be the long term solution that we need, and, it's really disappointing and it's very confusing... I think it's caused more issues than it's resolved."
Pamela specialises in aggressive and reactive dogs, she says this won't work long term:
"There was a lot of other options, I already run a scheme where I visit schools, primary schools, secondary schools and sports clubs, and I educate children and parents on how to interact with dogs and what to do in an aggressive situation.
"I feel very strongly that education and licensing and regulation should have been what was brought in, rather than just picking one breed and banning that breed. One of my main problems with with this whole situation is obviously I specialise in aggression, so I work with aggressive dogs everyday, and there is no specification on the dog, that's actually being legislated against, whether it's aggressive or not.
"So, you can't own a perfectly healthy, happy, friendly XL bully but you could own an extremely aggressive dog of any other breed. It's just crazy.
"What the government should have been looking at is reducing the aggression in dogs as a whole. The irresponsible owners and the irresponsible breeders. We're just we're blaming the dog and we should be blaming the other end of the lead."
The Government's move to ban the breed followed a series of attacks involving XL bullies, with one man dying after being savaged by one of the dogs last year.
Owners of XL bully dogs in Scotland will also be subject at a later date to the safeguards after the Scottish Government replicated legislation in place south of the border.
The RSPCA has previously said the measures are "not the answer" and it has warned of a "huge risk" that rescue centres and vets will be unable to cope with a likely surge in demand.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes warned of increased abandonment rates and said the new rules may lead to a "postcode lottery" for vets being able to help owners meet the terms.
The dogs were added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on October 31 last year, giving owners two months to prepare for the first stage of restrictions.
People with dangerously out of control dogs can be jailed for 14 years and banned from owning animals, and their pets can be put down.
Take a listen to our programme on the new XL Bully laws: