Ahead of the 1st of February deadline
by which all XL Bully dogs must be registered, the Chair of
the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Sir , has today written to
, the Minister for
Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare, regarding a key element
of the new regulations.
In December, the Committee wrote to the
Department raising a number of concerns around the Government’s
ban on XL bully dogs and received a reply from the
Department on 18 January. Today’s letter specifically
follows up on the issue of neutering dogs aged less than one year
old on 31 January 2024, and calls for an extension, from December
2024 to June 2025, of the deadline for neutering these dogs, to
take account of veterinary concerns that neutering a dog under
the age of 18 months may increase their risk of developmental
orthopaedic problems, alongside other medical conditions. The
Committee’s letter states this would also ensure the veterinary
profession can be better prepared to manage the number of dogs
which will fall within the regulations.
The letter also asks what steps the Government is taking to put
in place a process for owners to deregister dogs which have been
inadvertently registered as XL bullies.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Today’s letter to the Minister for Biosecurity, Animal Health
and Welfare can be found here.
- The Committee’s previous correspondence with the Department
can be found here.
