Applying for a certificate of exemption to keep your XL bully dog

The government has announced that since changes are being made to the Dangerous Dogs Act, you can now apply for a certificate of exemption in order to keep your XL bully dog. You can do this through the government website (gov.uk), as well as by email or post.

Before applying, the government website states that you must pay an application fee of £92.40 for each dog you want to apply for. After payment, you will be given a ten digit payment reference number which is needed to apply for this exemption. You also need to have third party public liability insurance for banned breeds of dogs, and will need to know when this insurance started. As well as this, you must provide the microchip number for your dog, which can be found on your dog’s vaccination record or through your vet.

You can apply for a certificate of exemption using the online government service for up to three dogs in one go. Any more, and you will need to apply again separately.

From 31st December 2023, the government states that it will be illegal to sell, abandon or give away an XL bully, or breed from this type of dog, and owners must have their XL bully on a lead and muzzle in a public space. We have a YouTube video explaining how to muzzle train your dog. Click this link to be taken to our muzzle training video: https://youtu.be/4LiDW8AYrmI

If you would like to learn more about the Dangerous Dogs Act, watch our YouTube video where we explain how the legislation may apply to you and your dog and how this will be changing at the end of this year (2023). Click this link to be taken to our DDA video: https://youtu.be/z4KtlnRbR2M