Thousands of XL Bully owners in England and Wales are facing the potential seizure and destruction of their dogs after the Dogs Trust announced it will stop providing third-party public liability insurance for banned breeds. The charity, which had been the sole provider of such insurance since the XL Bully ban in February 2024, said it can no longer afford to offer the cover due to mounting costs.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, it is a crime to own an XL Bully without a valid certificate of exemption, which requires owners to have third-party public liability insurance. The Dogs Trust had stepped in to provide this insurance after the ban, but from July 1 2026, it will cease issuing new policies and renewing existing ones. Owners must maintain valid insurance until June 30 2026.
Carla Lane Animals in Need, a charity that supports bully breed dogs, expressed alarm at the decision, warning that legal and innocent dogs across the UK will be at risk of seizure and destruction unless an affordable alternative is provided immediately. The charity urged the government to step in and provide a solution.
A Dogs Trust spokesman said the charity had always been clear with the government that its provision of insurance could not be a long-term solution. The government has reassured owners that it will contact them in June with information about the next steps. According to Defra, some 57,000 XL Bullies are currently registered as living in England and Wales.
Carla Lane Animals in Need criticised the government for failing to plan for the insurance shortfall, noting that the upsurge in demand and consequent increase in claims was entirely predictable. The charity said the change is another blow to responsible owners who complied with the ban and paid to keep their dogs within the law.
