An XL Bully type dog called Venom must be destroyed unless an exemption is obtained within two months, a court has ordered.

Jessica Arrowsmith, aged 27, of Trevithick Road, St Austell, Cornwall had opposed an application for an order for the destruction of Venom at Truro Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday, October 15).

The application to destroy Venom had been made under section 4B of the dangerous dog’s act 1991.

However, magistrates declined her application to oppose, granting an order against Jessica Arrowsmith that, unless an exemption is obtained within two months of this order, the dog XL Bully type dog called "Venom" shall be destroyed.

It was not recorded as to what the dog had done or not done for it to be destroyed.

Magistrates ordered that during that time the dog must be neutered, micro-chipped and third-party insurance obtained.

The ongoing requirements were that after release the owner maintains third-party insurance for the dog and when the dog is in a public place it is muzzled and kept on a lead in the charge of a person over the age of 16 years.

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The UK government banned XL Bully dogs in England and Wales on October 31, 2023, under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

It's now a criminal offence to own, possess, sell, abandon, give away, or breed an XL Bully dog. It's also illegal to have an XL Bully dog in public without a lead and muzzle.

Owners  were told previously they could apply for a Certificate of Exemption to keep their dog, or choose to have their dog euthanized and apply for compensation. The application deadline for a Certificate of Exemption was January 31, 2024.

To keep an XL Bully dog from being seized, owners must:

  • Microchip and neuter their dog
  • Keep them on a lead and muzzled in public
  • Keep them in a secure place
  • Have third party public liability insurance cover
  • Be at least 16 years old 

The government has created its own specifications for the breed, including:

  • Size of head and muzzle
  • Build
  • Height and length of body
  • Adult males must be at least 20 inches tall, and females must be at least 19 inches tall