Man who said 'dog would attack anyone near it' becomes first known XL Bully owner prosecuted
The dog owner who admitted his pet 'would attack anyone who approached it' has become one of the first known XL Bully owners to be prosecuted in Sussex.
Patrick McKeown failed to comply with the Dangerous Dog Act, which came into place on 1 February 2024.
The new law made it a criminal offence to own an XL Bully type dog in England and Wales unless the animal has a Certificate of Exemption, amid a recent surge in dog attacks in the UK.
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The 40-year-old's pet, called Sully, was discovered by police in the back garden of McKeown's West Sussex home, as they came to visit him on a different matter.
McKeown has since confessed to one count of possessing a fighting dog without any exemption at Worthing Magistrates Court last month.
The former builder told the Daily Mail: "Sully was an amazing dog, he never did anything wrong, never bit another dog. He was great with kids, he just looked a bit scary.
"I'd applied for an exemption certificate but because of the big backlog of cases I haven't yet received one. Sully was insured - despite what was said in court - and I'd booked him in to be neutered but the procedure hadn't yet been carried out.
"The law is the law but it's a strange crime. The authorities put Sully to sleep two weeks ago. He was three-years-old and I'd had him for two of those years."
He was told by the court to complete a one-year community order, with 100 hours of unpaid work.
The dog owner was also ordered to pay £85 worth of costs and a £114 surcharge.
Chief Inspector Simon Starns said: "This was one of the first cases of its type to be prosecuted in Sussex.
"It demonstrates to the public that owners have a responsibility to ensure that they comply with the new laws which are now in force.
"We continue to work closely with partners to ensure dogs are kept safe through responsible ownership and to reduce the risk to the public.
"We continue to ask all dog owners to comply with Government guidance on the ownership of the XL Bully breed of dog.
"This includes ensuring that all XL Bully breed dogs are muzzled and kept on a lead held by someone aged over 16 when in public places."
This comes off the back of XL Bully owners in Scotland now being able to apply for a special certificate to allow them to legally keep their pets.
Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: “These new safeguards are being introduced to protect the public while giving XL Bully owners time to comply with the new rules.
“I would encourage XL Bully owners who wish to keep their dogs from August 1 to apply for an exemption certificate in good time.
“The Scottish Government continues to work with Police Scotland, local authorities, the SSPCA and others to ensure our communities are kept safe.”
XL Bully owners in Scotland can apply for the certificate by post or online for £92.40.
What happens to XL Bully's once they're confiscated?
Since February 1 this year, owning an XL Bully has become a criminal offence in England and Wales unless owners have an exemption certificate, which they need to apply for.
Unregistered pets will be taken and owners possibly fined and prosecuted.
Seized dogs will be taken to kennels as they await a court to decide if they should either be destroyed or deemed not a danger to public safety.
Anish Vij