Since the events, the breed has now been declared as the 3rd most stolen dog in the UK, despite not being in the top 10 previously in the year before.
With the sale of the breed now being prohibited, XL bullies have since been targeted by thieves since being added to the Dangerous Dogs act.
UK dog thefts are up 6% this year, and sadly the number of dogs returned to their owners is down, with figures from Direct Line Pet Insurance showing that just 16% of pets stolen return to their homes, compared to 21% the previous year.
Although there is currently no specific law in place for pet theft, there is currently a bill in the process of being passed to amend the law.
In January, the bill which would create an offence of ‘pet abduction’ passed its first Commons hurdle unopposed, meaning that once under the legislation, anyone convicted of such offence could face a fine or a maximum of five years in prison.
Since the ban, there has still been many reports of XL bully attacks in the region, including the recent attack of a schoolboy in Bootle who suffered life-changing injuries after being bitten by an XL bully last month.
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