They’ve never ever done anything wrong,” one woman says of her three XL bully dogs. “We’ve owned bull breeds for 10 years and they’ve never put a foot wrong, we’ve never had altercations in public, we have had nothing but a positive experience.”
Heather Halls and her husband Chris have spent the past few weeks in disbelief after Rishi Sunak announced in September that American XL bully dogs would be banned in the UK following a spate of high-profile attacks and fatalities.
Not only do three of their family dogs fall into this category, but Chris is a professional dog trainer specialising in bulldog breeds, meaning that their entire livelihood is now at stake. They also compete in the Protection Sports Association, by which two of their XL bullies have been awarded titles.
“Essentially, our whole world and what we’ve worked towards in the last few years is about to get flipped on its head,” says Heather.
The couple have now joined forces with other XL bully owners to launch an official campaign to challenge the government’s stance, with more than £86,000 raised in a matter of days to support legal action.
Campaigners from Don’t Ban Me – Licence Me are asking the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to rethink their plans and are fundraising for a judicial review.
Poor breeding to blame for XL bullies attacking people, says dog trainer
With the support of their barrister John Cooper KC, they sent a warning of their intention to launch legal action to the environment secretary Therese Coffey last Thursday, as they hope to scrap the planned ban in favour of tightened laws around breeding and ownership.
Under new legislation, it will be illegal to sell, breed or abandon an XL bully-type dog from 31 December, while it will be an offence to own one from 1 February 2024 unless it is registered to the government’s database, the Index of Exempted Dogs.
Once their animal is registered, owners will have to abide by strict regulations, which include keeping their dogs muzzled and on a lead at all times in public, having them neutered and microchipped, and having to carry a certificate of exemption at all times to show police officers or council dog wardens.
Alongside descriptions of head size and physical features, the government has defined an American XL bully as an adult male from 20in in height, or an adult female from 19in. However, given that XL bullies have never been defined as an official breed, this has confused owners of cross-breeds such as mastiffs and mongrels.
The decision to ban the breed came after deaths relating to XL bully attacks, including those of 10-year-old Jack Lis and 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch. Two people were injured in recent days in Mansfield by a suspected XL bully, while one report holds the breed responsible for nearly 50 per cent of all dog attacks in the UK.
Charities with the banned breed in their care will now receive £100 compensation for euthanising an XL bully, while owners will get £200 compensation if a vet euthanises their dog.
Speaking to The Independent, Sophie Coulthard, an organiser of the campaign group, says: “The problem with this knee-jerk reaction is that it won’t stop dog attacks. We need to focus on licensing and educating owners, with compulsory training and tougher punishments to prevent people from impulse-buying dogs.”
Sophie has owned her XL bully, Billy, for the last year, and has developed a following on TikTok by posting educational videos of his training as well as details of the proposed ban.
“One thing we’ve found is that people are really misinformed on the full impact of the ban,” she says. “What the government is asking me to do is look at their guidelines and commit him to a life on the muzzle, not go on holidays with him, have him muzzled in the car.
“There’d be no more playing with a toy in the park, anyone in social housing could lose their housing or their dog, you can no longer hire private fields to take dogs off the lead. It is really reducing the quality of life for these dogs.”
The group is arguing for the UK to take a similar approach to Canada’s Calgary model, an educational, licensing and stronger enforcement programme that has successfully reduced the number of dog bites by 70 per cent.
“I understand there’s been attacks, and I fully sympathise with anyone who has been a victim, because it’s horrific,” Heather says. “Dog ownership is a complete and utter mess, and people got these dogs in lockdown and haven’t socialised them or trained them. My son was bitten by a dachshund that shot out of a front door, so it’s not just XL bullies.
“Licensing is the right way forward. It’s proven to work in other countries and you can’t ignore the evidence that it works.”
Since the announcement, her five-year-old son panics each time he hears a siren, out of fear that police officers will arrive to take his dogs away. “Our dogs are our family pets,” says Heather. “I’ll do anything to keep my dogs safe. I will fight with my last breath.”
Grandfather Fears Dog Wouldn’t Recognize Him After a Year Apart, but Excited Pup Rushes Towards Him, Melting Hearts with Reunion Joy.
One of the best things in life, and I recognize you will agree with me on this, is coming home to a canine bounding up to invite you after a long day at work. One of the many reasons we appreciate our canine friends a lot is the absolute, unrestrained pleasure and thrill of your existence.
Will a dog eventually forget about you after years apart? Fortunately, as evidenced by this story, they will not!
After a year of being away, a blind and deaf puppy saw her grandfather, the owner’s dad, and despite the owner’s fears of a broken bond, the puppy went into ecstatic overdrive.
Grab the tissues since after reading this story, you are going to start weeping waterfalls. Also, do not forget to share your pet stories and ideas in the comments section listed below. Thank you for your continuous assistance and we greatly appreciate all of your upvotes and follows. Without further trouble, allow’s begin with the story!
On TikTok, a sweet video clip of a man called Steve reconciling with his daughter’s dog, Bitsy, went viral. Hayden Kristal’s canine is unique since she was born deaf and blind, but Hayden did not allow that stop her from adopting the puppy when she was just 5 weeks old.
At first, they were stressed over how the puppy would certainly deal with life, but she rapidly proved they had nothing to be afraid. Hayden said, “She has been her own lady because day one. The first thing she did when I brought her residence was to make a beeline for the food dish, creep right into it and eat till she passed out.”
Five years later, she is still a stunning, vivacious canine that still enjoys hanging out with her mother, a few brother or sisters, and other family members. Bitsy and her mom were forced to live besides their relatives last year after COVID limitations were put in place to guarantee their security. As a result, the puppy and the dad would be separated for an entire year.
According to the caption, her dad was concerned that Bitsy will forget him after a year apart, but that was not the situation because the canine knew her grandpa’s embrace right away. She was licking at the man’s face while leaping up and down. Steve was as delighted to see the puppy as she was to see him, and a smile never left his face.
” As quickly as I obtained within scent range, she completely lost her mind with joy. So did I,” Steve wrote on Facebook. “Once again Bitsy proved that the abilities she has are far more impressive than the ones she’s missing. What a really incredible and fantastic soul. Perhaps you can tell from this video just how much we love each other.”
Hayley’s father spends as much time as feasible with his granddog because he loves the animal more than he could have ever pictured. He is her biggest supporter and fan, according to Hayden.
” He will inform anybody who will listen regarding what an amazing canine she is and how much he enjoys her. He does the normal grandfather things of spoiling her with treats and toys and she loves to simply hang out near him.”
Bitsy and her mother have taken several trips across the country, hiking, canoeing, riding the subway, and also skating. “Bitsy is the sweetest, friendliest, most caring, and faithful dog in the world,” Hayden said. “She is bold and sexy and she enjoys adventure!” She likewise appears to have a love of ribs and BBQ sauce.
“She’s taught me a lot regarding love, life, and swallowing whole rotisserie hens before an authority figure can wrench the bird shrapnel from your thieving hyena jaws,” she said in her Instagram article.
It is wonderful that the family can currently be back with each other. Although dogs can see and listen to, Pet Place claims that their primary sense of perception is smell. Because of this, dogs without hearing will depend on touch and smell to inform them when a person is nearby, which will create them to come to be much more connected to their human buddies than formerly. For stability and comfort, they significantly rely on predictable routines, so maintaining things like bedding and feeding bowls in the exact same area is useful.
The big query at this moment is just how much a canine can recall.
For all those years, Hachi waited for his owner at the railway terminal, but existed more to it than simply habit and loyalty?
Swifto insists that, unlike humans, canines have a unique method for keeping, processing, and recalling memories.
They possibly don’t recall all the meals they have actually had because they have bad short-term memory, which is why they maintain asking for even more food. They have an associative memory, which implies that rather than having true memories, they remember experiences based upon associations. As a result, Bitsy most likely recognized the grandpa by his voice and fragrance, which served as a reminder of who he was.
You don’t need to be worried that your dog will soon forget you. And if you come across a particular puppy because of this, there are lots of solutions offered, so put your worry aside and begin cuddling puppies! However, adopt correctly and guarantee that you can offer your dogs.
We send out Bitsy and her household our hottest desires and will keep up with their travels and joie de vivre.
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