Thousands of banned dogs living at home with owners

Lola, classified as pit-bull-type, was seized by police in 2019

There are almost 3,500 banned dogs living legally at home with their owners in England, Scotland and Wales under an exemption scheme, data released from the government to the BBC has revealed. With a ban on XL bullies expected by the end of the year, one police officer says tracking down additional dogs will pose a challenge - as it is unclear how many animals forces will have to deal with.

In a busy park in Middlesbrough, seven-year-old pit bull terrier Lola is a familiar fixture, with her owner Anita Mehdi keeping a tight hold on her lead. Lola's broad, muscular frame makes her stand out, and her bright orange muzzle makes her even more noticeable.

But four years ago, Anita thought her time with Lola was coming to an abrupt end, when the police turned up to seize her.

"My whole world sort of fell apart. They locked her in a cage, shut the door and drove off, leaving me sobbing in the road," she says.

"I didn't know whether I was ever going to see her again."

A member of the public had reported Lola to the police because they suspected she was a banned breed.

• What is an American bully XL and why are they being banned?

• American bully XL owners speak of heartbreak at ban

After the tip-off to the police, Lola was measured and assessed. An American bulldog crossed with an English Staffordshire bull terrier, she was classified as pit-bull-type. Pit bull terriers are one of the four breeds of dog banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 alongside the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brazileiro.

Following a concerning rise in dog attacks involving another breed, the American bully XL, the government says it is taking urgent action to ban these dogs.

'I take the restrictions seriously'

Lola was given a behavioural assessment from the local dog legislation officer in Cleveland Constabulary, which she passed. But Anita - who says she was not aware that Lola was a pit bull when she got her - was told that she would have to go to court to be allowed to keep her.

Exemption schemes allow banned dogs to stay with their owners if a court is satisfied that they do not pose a danger to the public and that strict restrictions will be followed. Lola was returned to Anita with a list of restrictions.

"Life really changed for Lola at that point," Anita says.

Lola had already been spayed and microchipped and Anita had already installed six-foot fencing around her garden. But Anita also has to keep Lola on a lead and ensure she is muzzled in public places, including in her car.

She must provide evidence every year that she has taken out third party insurance and must show a certificate of exemption to a police station within five days if she is asked to do so by a police officer or council dog warden. Failure to comply with these rules could see Lola seized again.

"I take the restrictions very seriously. I wouldn't risk having Lola euthanised and put to sleep," Anita says.

"She's just my entire world. So although I don't like it, I do it because I love her."

Anita says she follows restrictions carefully to be allowed to keep Lola

BBC News submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the government department which monitors the active list of exempted dogs.

Of the data which showed that 3,499 banned dogs are registered in England, Scotland and Wales, almost all are pit bull terriers, with 3,316 in England and 149 in Wales. Ten years ago, the BBC reported that there were 2,323 in England and Wales.

Though 13 banned dogs were counted in Scotland, Defra did not provide a breakdown of their breeds. Individual councils run their own exemption registers in Northern Ireland.

In Sheffield, Dog Legislation Officer PC Paul Jameson measures a light-brown dog with a solid, square frame with a tape while his colleague feeds him a treat. South Yorkshire Police has given the BBC rare access to a training facility that deals with banned dogs.

The dog PC Jameson is examining is being kept in a secure kennel to see if she meets the characteristics outlined by Defra to be classed as a pit-bull-type - a dog that may have characteristics of another breed but still has enough pit bull characteristics to be considered a banned dog.

PC Jameson said the assessment was based on physical composition and observation.

"We measure around 70 things altogether looking at every aspect of the dog," he explains.

"We're looking for a triangular head when viewed from the front. The eyes are almond-shaped, not quite deep-set compared to other breeds. We're looking for a long, heavily muscled neck… If it has a significant number of characteristics it will be classified as a pit-bull-type."

PC Paul Jameson assesses banned dogs

This dog meets the criteria to be classified as a pit-bull-type and because she is unclaimed, she will probably be put down.

The government says it will ban another type of dog, the American bully XL, before the end of the year. But it has not yet defined the breed characteristics for this animal.

PC Jameson says that assessing XL bullies will pose a challenge.

You can listen to "5 Minutes On: Dangerous Dogs" on BBC Sounds.

"We don't have accurate numbers of how many of these dogs are really out there. I would say there's thousands."

He says kennels used by police for seized dogs are already "extremely busy" and if XL bullies are to be seized in the future, this will add to the strain.

"But I'm sure we'll rise to the challenge when it comes in," he adds.

Tom and Casey own an 11-month-old XL bully called Zuma

Not far from Lola and Anita, in another part of Middlesbrough, Tom Pattison and Casey Norster own an 11-month-old XL bully called Zuma, a family pet they have had since he was a puppy. Despite his fearsome appearance, their two young children, aged four and two, adore him.

"I trust him with my life. He's a wonderful dog. He's amazing with my children and wouldn't harm a fly," Tom says.

"I'd be really sad if he was ever taken away."

In preparation for Zuma becoming a banned breed of dog, Tom and Casey have started to train him to use a lead and a muzzle and are taking him to professional dog behaviour training classes, in the hope he will be assessed as safe to stay with them.

Since the announcement of a future ban on XL bullies, the family have noticed that people react differently to Zuma.

"People are a bit more wary about him now. They don't want their dogs to come close to him. They don't want their children close to him.

"If he's ever off the lead, they'll start walking in the opposite direction," says Casey.

Tom and Casey are opposed to breed-specific legislation and Anita has been campaigning to change it since Lola was seized. She says the emphasis should be placed on "responsible ownership and accountability".

"Banning a breed makes them more attractive to the wrong owner," she says.

But PC Jameson says the laws are not designed to punish responsible owners. He says it would be "foolish" to release a dog back to an owner who does not understand or acknowledge that their pet could be dangerous to themselves and others.

"I've got to think about public safety," he says.

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