XL Bully dogs are being sold online through retailers such as Gumtree for seriously low prices, due to the impending ban of the dogs.
The XL Bully has been the source of a number of horrible headlines recently, with a spate of attacks drawing particular attention to the relatively new breed.
In one incident near Sunderland, a man was killed in a suspected attack, for which another man has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
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As a result of the negative press the breed has been attracting because of the attacks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that the XL Bully will be banned, joining four other breeds on the banned dogs list.
The PM claims that he wants to ban the XL Bully by the end of the year, which has seen many breeders and those who own the dogs attempting to sell them beforehand.
Many breeders have dropped their prices significantly, and some have attempted to sell the dogs overseas, where there is still a market for them.
One anonymous breeder told the Daily Star: “There's no point putting them up for stupid amounts of money and people buying it and then they're stuck in this situation [of owning a banned dog].
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“It's not fair.
“If someone came along and messaged saying, 'We'll give one [of the dogs] a good home, but I haven't got any money,' I'd be absolutely fine with that.
“As long as it is out of the way and the dog is safe.
“A lot of them are going to be going abroad because I know they're going to be safe.”
The woman believes that a lot of the problem started during the Covid-19 pandemic when people started breeding dogs and buying dogs, but those who bought XL Bully dogs at lower prices weren’t prepared for owning them.
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She said: "All this has come about since the prices of dogs dropped.
"It's happened since Covid, everyone wanted to be a dog breeder and I honestly feel that's what's caused this."
Now, while some people would have paid thousands for an XL Bully before the ban was announced, there are numerous listings on websites like Gumtree and Pets4Homes showing dogs that can be bought for mere hundreds of pounds – including some puppies as low as £350.
Not so long ago, that would have been more like £5,000 to even £20,000 for a pedigree pup.
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One ad reads: "We have a beautiful beasty XL pup. She's such a lovely girl. But will need training."
Another states: "My boy due to no faults of his own. Going to make a very strong dog. Fantastic around kids and other dogs."
Many owners have been angered by the proposed ban, with XL Bully protests taking place in Newcastle and Birmingham.
Even animal charities have spoken out about the ban, believing that banning individual breeds is not the most productive solution to the issue of dangerous dogs.
Tom Wood