XL Bully put down after woman requires hospital treatment following dog bite in Preston
A woman required hospital treatment after being bitten by an XL Bully in Preston.
Police responded to a report of a dog bite on Thurnham Road, Ashton, at approximately 5.40pm on February 25.
Upon arrival, officers found a woman in her 40s who had sustained a “minor bite injury to her arm”.
She was treated at the hospital for the injury.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “The owner of the dog voluntarily signed the dog over and it was taken to a vet, where it was humanely put to sleep.”
Ownership of American Bully XL dogs is now restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
As of December 31, 2023, it became illegal to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL Bully.
Since February 1, 2024, it is a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate.
The government received 61,000 exemption applications before the deadline.
Owners of XL Bullies who chose not to retain their pets were required to take them to a registered vet for euthanasia by January 31, 2024.
For those who applied for an exemption, certain conditions must be met, including obtaining insurance, microchipping their dog and paying a fee of £92.40 per animal.
Registered dogs must be securely housed, neutered and kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
Police are authorized to seize unregistered prohibited dogs, and owners face up to six months in jail and/or an unlimited fine.