A FUNDRAISER set up to petition the Government’s decision to ban American XL Bully dogs has raised a whopping £100,000.
The online funds were raised in the wake of the decision by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to place the dog on the banned breeds list at the end of last month.
The ban on the breed, which will come into effect from 31 December this year will require all XL Bully owners to have their dogs on a lead and muzzled when in public.
Owners have challenged this and now seek to have their day in court having hired legal representation from John Cooper KC of 25 Bedford Row.
The fundraiser was set up last month by activists Licence Me Group, a not-for-profit organisation who claim to be ‘committed to providing expert knowledge and advocating for dogs’.
The group took to GoFundMe in a plea, writing: “We are the Licence Me Group and we are raising funds for all us UK XL bully owners to legally fight against putting our beautiful pet dogs on the ‘banned breed’ list.
“This is going to be a huge challenge but [we] have the support of ABKC and Tuckers Solicitors, and we have appointment John Cooper KC from 25 Bedford Row in London.
“Our dogs are bred to be loving companions, the XL Bully has been wrongfully blamed for many recent attacks by the media and government.
“Many other dogs will be targeted under this new proposed ban, everything from mastiffs to Rottweilers and Staffy crosses.
“Innocent dogs who have shown no aggression and pose no danger to anyone, all because of their appearance.
“There is a process we have to follow and this will be costly so we need to stay strong and keep fighting.
“Since the Dangerous Dogs Act come (sic) into place in 1991, dog attacks have risen, not reduced, and since 1999 and 2019 dog attacks have risen by 154%.
“There are many factors to blame here, but we cannot blame and cull an entire ‘type’
“We as bully owners of the UK demand change, demand fair and effective laws that keep people and dogs safe, demand that no dog be damned because of how they look.
“We are a non-for-profit organisation set up for all us bully owners to fight this ban.
“Every single penny raised from this fund will be used for our legal challenge.
“For all updates please see our website Licenceme.org.uk for complete transparency.”
The fundraiser now stands at £133,689 requiring just over £16,000 more to meet the group’s initial target that they set out.
XL Bully owner Jazmine Hadland, who owns the online activist group Save our bully’s UK [sic], said: “I am supporting this cause as I do not agree with the injustice of our bullies or the breed-specific regulations.
“It is insane that we judge a breed based on their looks.
“This issue is so close to my heart as I have my own two year-old XL Bully, Kenzo, who is the most loving and softest dog you will ever meet.
“He would not hurt a fly [and] has never once shown signs of aggression. He is a big friendly giant. Our XL Bullies are not to blame – it’s the owners.
“[They] are using the breed as an accessory and not giving the dog any love or training. These people don’t care about the dog – all they care about is looking ‘big, hard and scary.’
“Therefore, they are actively training the dog to be aggressive to show off. All these attacks are no fault of the dogs only bad owners that should not be allowed to own animals.
“I think all owners of all dogs – not just bullies – should have a license and that every dog should have to go through a course or training and be socialised properly.
“I also think any dog owner should have training too on how to own, train and care for their dog.
“I believe they need to stop the amount of backyard breeding in the UK – selling dogs to anyone without background checks but without the need to muzzle and neuter our dogs (due to no fault of their own).
“It’s about time they blamed the other end of the leash and prosecute, fine and imprison and not people responsible for these dogs.
“I did try to start a petition on the government website but as one has already been made mine got rejected, but I have actively been sharing the petition.”
To donate to this fundraiser you can visit this link: https://gofund.me/0272a583
