It is now a criminal offence to own an XL Bully that does not have a certificate of exemption.
Applications for certificates of exemption closed on 31 July 2024. New exemptions can only be granted by a court order.
XL bully dogs are a prohibited type of dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It is an offence to:
have an XL bully in public without a lead and muzzle
breed or breed from an XL bully dog
sell an XL bully dog
abandon an XL bully dog or let it stray
give away an XL bully dog
Strays
Our dog warden will continue to deal with all stray dogs.
However, where a stray XL bully is encountered we will liaise with Police Scotland as it is now a criminal offence to let an XL bully stray.
Enforcement
The dog warden service is not responsible for putting the changes in place nor enforcing them. For further information visit the Scottish Government’s website.