The State is set to oppose an injunction application brought by six animal welfare organisations seeking to halt a new law restricting ownership of XL bully dogs which they say is too vague and disproportionate to impose a criminal liability on owners failing to comply.

The State is set to oppose an injunction application brought by six animal welfare organisations seeking to halt the impending ban on them rehoming or exporting XL bully dogs in their care. The High Court has scheduled to hear the application on Friday, just one day before the ban is due to come into force.

The National Police Chiefs' Council predicts costs of enforcing the ban will have reached £25m by April this year.

A number of police forces across the UK have reported an increase in attacks by dogs since the XL Bully ban came into force. Police have spent more than £11 million kennelling banned dog breeds since the ban came into force in February as it can cost around £1,000 a month to keep an XL bully in kennels.

In several cases, XL bullies are known to have killed their owners, including David Daintree, 53, in August 2024, and Angeline Mahal, who was in her 50s, in May 2024. Nicholas Glass, 33, also died in August after being attacked by four dogs - including two XL bullies.

As the XL Bully ban marks its first year, the financial and logistical strain on police forces intensifies, with thousands of dogs seized and a staggering rise in costs, sparking a complex debate on public safety and resource allocation.

The ban on XL bully dogs is expected to cost police forces up to £25million in veterinary bills and kennelling by April this year, police chiefs have warned. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) revealed the staggering figure this morning - which represents a 500 per cent increase from 2018,

XL bully dogs were banned in the UK last year with a number of other illegal breeds also being seized in the process as police use their tools to try tackle rise in dangerous dogs