Two of the leading dog rehoming centres in the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire area have disagreed on the future of the soon-to-be-banned XL Bully.

On Friday, September 15, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a public pledge to ban the American XL Bully dog breed in the UK.

It followed a series of attacks that were put down to the breed, with new data claiming the XL Bully is the breed involved in the most dog attacks.

Soon after the Dog Control Coalition, made up of the RSPCA, Blue Cross, Battersea, Dogs Trust, Hope Rescue, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club and BVA advocated against the ban, stating: "Banning the breed will sadly not stop these types of incidents recurring." 

They urged the government to instead take action against unscrupulous breeding and irresponsible owners.

READ MORE: 'They're gentle giants!' American XL Bully owners defend pets as they face new ban

Now a month down the line, a handful of dog rehoming centres across the UK are refusing to take in XL Bully dogs for rehoming.

Amongst them is Dogs Trust Newbury and Dogs Trust Harefield.

A spokesperson from Dogs Trust Newbury added: “Until the government has issued further guidance, we are not currently re-homing any dogs that we think could be typed as XL Bully type dogs.”

The rehoming centre in Newbury has urged XL Bully owners to "stay calm and not panic" as the government make their decision on what will happen in the transition period into the ban taking hold.

Callers to the centre have reportedly risen regarding American Bully XL-type dogs since the ban was announced - many from owners seeking clarity on the ban and others from those wanting to rehome their XL Bully in light of the ban.

Dogs Trust continues to support owners with behavioural support and will soon be introducing specialist muzzle training sessions. 

Meanwhile, Dogs Trust Harefield said: "Following the government’s announcement, we immediately stopped promoting any dogs that we thought could fall under the ban and we do not expect to rehome XL Bullies anytime in the future.”

However, Battersea Old Windsor says they are continuing to take in XL Bully-type dogs and will rehome them to fully informed households.

A Battersea spokesperson said: “At Battersea, we aim to help any dog that needs us, regardless of age, breed, or medical condition.

"On arrival to our centres, every dog undergoes a thorough medical and behavioural assessment before our expert rehoming team can begin the process of matching them to a loving new home.

“Following the Government’s announcement that the American Bully XL type will be banned on a yet-to-be-disclosed date, we are ensuring that any prospective owners are aware that a specific dog they are interested in may be defined as a banned breed type when the law changes.

"Before anyone makes the decision to adopt one of these dogs, we make sure that they fully understand the implications a ban could have, such as being required to go through the legal exemption process.”