Image source, PA Media Image caption,

The curbs follow a number of attack, but campaigners insist a ban is not the answer

By Jeremy Culley

BBC News

The RSPCA has warned thousands of American XL bully owners are set to breach new laws banning the dogs.

From 1 February in England and Wales, police can seize the dogs and owners could face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

Owners are being urged to register dogs for exemption certificates or euthanise them.

More than 30,000 XL bullies have been registered - but the true number in the UK is thought to be much higher.

The deadline to apply online for an exemption certificate expires at noon on 31 January.

People choosing not to keep their XL bully must take them to a registered vet to be euthanised.

The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss has urged people not to risk "leaving it to the last minute".

The government says XL bullies have been "disproportionately involved" in the rising number of fatal dog attacks.

In September, Ian Price died after being attacked by two suspected American bully XL dogs in Stonnall, near Walsall, while Jack Lis, a 10-year-old boy was killed by an American XL bully in Caerphilly in 2021.