Bolton has hundreds of XL Bully dogs registered in the borough, data published by The Spectator has revealed. It became illegal to own an ‘XL bully’ dog from February 1, 2024, unless the animal was on an exempt list. Those who wished to keep their dog were required to register them and comply with strict requirements: the dogs must be microchipped, and they have to be muzzled and kept on a lead in public.
Additionally, those which were more than a year old on January 31 need to be neutered by June 30, while those under 12 months need to be neutered by the end of the year. Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox. Owners were also given the option of getting their dog euthanised, for which they could then apply to be compensated financially.
Those without an exemption certificate can face a criminal record and an unlimited fine. Earlier this month a Bolton man was told his unregistered XL Bully could be destroyed after it attacked another XL Bully, which was registered. Part of Bolton with the most XL Bullies According to data acquired under the Freedom of Information Act by The Spectator, Bolton has at least 344 XL bullies registered in its postcode areas.
The BL4 postcode area – consisting of Farnworth and Kearsley, has the highest rate of XL bullies, with 65 dogs equating to a rate of 183 registered per 100,000 people, according to the data. Follow The Bolton News on Facebook , Instagram , X (Twitter) , and TikTok . BL2 – Ains.
