A financial assistance initiative by Almost Home Dog Rescue, a charity that is offering help to owners of American bully XL dogs to get their pets neutered ahead of a ban on the breed in England and Wales. The ban comes after several attacks involving this dog type and is set to take effect from February 2024.
Owners of American bully XL dogs can keep them if they comply with several UK government requirements, including having the dogs neutered, microchipped, and insured. The dogs must also be muzzled and kept on a lead in public, and the owners must carry an exemption certificate that can be produced upon request.
Neutering a bully XL can be expensive, up to £400, due to their size, and there is an additional cost of £92.40 to obtain an exemption certificate. The charity's boss, Dave Sutton, would rather see the funds go towards neutering rather than on exemption certificates. The charity has secured a £5,000 grant to subsidize the neutering cost for local owners, who only need to contribute £50 each. To date, 82 people have applied for the assistance, with 13 neutering procedures completed and 21 more scheduled.