XL bully dog owner campaigns to overturn ban

Ellee Keegan, from Rubery, near Bromsgrove, owns a 20-month-old American XL bully called Costa

The owner of an American XL bully dog is calling for the new law that bans the breed to be overturned.

Ellee Keegan, 26, from Worcestershire, is part a campaign which has raised £160,000 towards a legal challenge against the government's decision.

From 1 February it will be illegal to own the breed, unless the owner has successfully applied for an exemption.

The government said "decisive" action had been taken to protect the public from "tragic dog attacks."

The dog was added to the banned list following a number of attacks involving the breed, some of which have been fatal.

Ms Keegan said her XL bully was "gentle" and "loved kids"

An online campaign called Don't Ban Me, Licence Me, aims to raise £450,000 through fundraising to get the ban overturned.

Campaigners want the ban to be replaced by a law which calls for all dog owners to be licensed instead.

Ms Keegan, who owns a XL Bully called Costa, said the law was targeting responsible dog owners unfairly and that campaigners wanted to ensure "harsher laws" for dog owners, "and not the dog".

She described her eight stone (50kg) XL bully, who is around 20 months old, as "dopey, funny and clever," and "a mummy's boy".

'Well behaved dog'

"They aren't aggressive dogs, it's all about the owners and being a responsible owner," she said.

Ms Keegan, from Rubery, near Bromsgrove, said she had received "mixed reviews" from the public when walking Costa.

But she said her dog was like her "little shadow at home", adding he loved kids and was "gentle" around babies and toddlers.

"He's a very well behaved dog," she explained. "They just want to be loved and petted by everyone that they see.

"So it's heart-breaking that they get this bad stigma around them."