Police are spending at least £2.2million to house XL Bulleys as a ban on owning dangerous dogs comes into effect next week.
Forces across Britain are expecting a surge in demand for kennels ahead of the ban on owning the animal in England and Wales from Thursday, February 1.
The ban follows multiple dog attacks in recent months involving the breed, the latest of which saw an owner and another man in the street attacked by an XL Bully-type dog on Wednesday, January 24.
From next Thursday, owners must either have their pet euthanised or apply for a valid Certificate of Exemption which costs £92.40.
Since December 31 it has been an offence to sell, breed or abandon an XL Bully.
Owners of the breed have also had to walk their dogs on leads and with a muzzle.
Since December 31 it has been an offence to sell, breed or abandon an XL Bully (stock image)
Owners of the breed have had to walk their dogs on leads and with a muzzle since the turn of the year
From next Thursday, owners must either have their pet euthanised or apply for a valid Certificate of Exemption which costs £92.40 (Picture taken from Facebook)
With registration due to close at noon on January 31, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, is urging XL Bully owners not to wait till the deadline to register their dogs.
The government says over 30,000 XL Bully dogs have been registered to the scheme. More than 100 claims have been made towards the government’s compensation scheme which helps with the cost of euthanasia.
This is to help owners whose applications are rejected or choose not to keep their dogs.
In September last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the breed would be banned following a string of high profile dog attacks.
However, the dog remained legal in Scotland until January 18 when First Minister Humza Yousef announced the Scottish Government planned to replicate the ban.
This followed a string of attacks in Scotland including a man who had to flee to safety inside a local shop after an XL Bully-type dog attacked him. The dog was only put down when police shot the beast four times.
Scottish community safety minister Siobhian Brown said the move is ‘right and proper’ amid concern over an influx of dogs being abandoned in Scotland.
The ban follows a number of reports of attacks in the last 12 months, both north and south of the border.
Last week, locals in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, witnessed an XL Bully-type dog attack his owner and another man in the street before being shot dead by police.
The ‘huge’ animal, thought to be called Zeus, was stabbed by its own owner, named locally as William Hunter, several times.
The attack happened days after the dog was reportedly rescued from England as new laws on the breed came into effect down south.
It maimed a man in the Loudonhill Avenue area of Hamilton, Lanarkshire before savaging Mr Hunter in nearby Tinto View at around 5pm on Tuesday, January 23.
Owners wanting to keep their XL bully will have to pay an unconfirmed fee to register the pet (stock image)
Scottish community safety minister Siobhian Brown said the move is ‘right and proper’ amid concern over an influx of dogs being abandoned in Scotland
XL Bully owners are pictured protesting in central London in September last year
William Hunter with the dog, Zeus, which is believed to have attacked him and another man
Footage from the nearby Day Today convenience store shows the other man believed to have been attacked, who is wearing dark clothing and white trainers, limp hurriedly into the store to seek help; he can clearly be seen struggling to run.
Police were called to the scene and the beast is then said to have attempted to sink its teeth into one of the officers attending.
Armed response cops then shot the animal dead after a Taser failed to quell its temper.
Witnesses said the animal was ‘huge’ and believe that police had been left with no option but to shoot it after it was reportedly stabbed and refused to stop its attack.