What is an American XL bully and why are they being banned?

New rules for owning American XL bully dogs come into force in Scotland on Friday.

The measures, which include making it an offence to breed or sell the dogs, are similar to those recently introduced in England and Wales.

An XL bully is the largest kind of American bully dog. Other types include standard, pocket and classic.

It describes them as large dogs “with a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for [their] size”.

Male XL dogs stand from 20in (51cm) high at the shoulder, with female XLs only slightly smaller.

Dogs will be considered XLs if they meet the minimum height and a substantial number of other characteristics, the government says.

Ownership of American bully XL dogs is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Since 1 February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

The government told the BBC it had received 61,000 applications for exemption before the deadline.

Police can seize unregistered prohibited dogs, and their owners face a criminal record and unlimited fine.

Anyone choosing not to keep their XL bully had to take it to a registered vet to be euthanised by 31 January 2024.

The new rules make it illegal to abandon, rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL bully.

Anyone who breaks the rules risks up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5,000.

Owners who wish to keep their dogs will need to have – or have applied for – an exemption certificate by 31 July 2024.

Details of how to register a dog will be released shortly.

Owners in England and Wales who applied for an exemption had to purchase insurance, microchip their dog and pay a £92.40 fee per animal.

Registered dogs have to be housed securely, and must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.

Older dogs must also be neutered by 30 June, or by the end of 2024 for dogs under the age of one.

Owners in England and Wales can no longer apply to exempt an XL bully.

The requirements for exempt XL bully owners in Scotland are expected to mirror those in place in England and Wales.

There are no official statistics on attacks by individual dog breeds in the UK.

In 2022, there were nearly 22,000 cases, up from just over 16,000 in 2018.

When it announced the XL bully ban, the government said 23 deaths had been caused by dog attacks since the start of 2021, “with the XL bully being disproportionately involved”.

Breed-specific bans do not work and are unfair on responsible dog owners and their pets, according to the Dog Control Coalition.

The coalition includes Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club, the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association.