Just 395 American XL Bully dogs have been put down and some 57,000 remain on the streets after being exempted from a nationwide ban, figures show.
All XL Bullies must be registered or euthanised under a law brought in after a spate of maulings by the breed.
Since February 1, 2024, it has been made a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without a certificate of exemption.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak said the ban was necessary because of a ‘danger to communities'.
But just 0.7 per cent of American Bullies have been taken off the streets, new government statistics for England and Wales released under the Freedom of Information Act suggest.
Just 395 American XL Bully dogs have been put down and some 57,000 remain on the streets after being exempted from a nationwide ban, figures show (stock image)
The Government brought in the ban on the muscular canines after they were blamed for maulings which led to at least 11 deaths since 2021. Those killed ranged from 17 months to 84 years of age.
The Certificate of Exemption entitles the holder continue to legally keep their dogs at a cost of £92.40.
Exempted dogs must be neutered, muzzled and kept on a lead in public and their owners must insure them for third party liability.
XL bullies that were more than a year old when the ban came into force must be neutered by the end of June.
The new figures show only 400 owners have applied for compensation after their XL Bullies were put down – with the £200 payments made to just 395 successful applications.
The exemptions of 57,000 dogs is nearly six times Defra's estimate of England's XL Bully population, which it put at 10,000.
There are also expected to be as many as 20,000 unregistered XL Bullies, adding to the likely population.
Dr Samantha Gaines (pictured) is a dog welfare expert from the RSPCA
Since February 1, 2024, it has been made a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without a certificate of exemption (stock image)
Dr Samantha Gaines, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said: ‘The RSPCA, along with other organisations, has been very concerned about the numbers of dogs affected by the XL Bully ban – with these latest exemption figures much greater than estimates originally provided by the UK Government – placing significant pressure on the capacity of services linked to the exemption process, like vets.
‘But, positively, the high number of exemptions and low euthanasia rate shows that there are a huge number of responsible owners who want to keep their much-loved family pet.
‘Given the number of exempted dogs, we continue to call for the UK Government to offer support for vets to ensure that they have the capacity and time to carry out neutering, which is a legal requirement for exemption.'
Under the rules, unregistered pets can be seized and owners fined and prosecuted.
Seized dogs are taken to kennels before a court decides if they should be destroyed or deemed not a danger to public safety.
