A law came into force on 31st December 2023 concerning the XL Bully breed following numerous and very high-profile tragic incidents involving the breed causing serious, sometimes fatal injury, to their owners or other people. In the aftermath, many dog daycare settings refused to allow XL Bully dogs to attend. Having taken very careful consideration of all the facts, the expertise of our highly qualified team, and advice from our partner veterinary Practice and our insurers, we took the decision that we did not want well-behaved, well-socialised XL Bully dogs to be excluded from Tails. We placed a number of conditions in place including:  

1. Anyone wishing to place an XL Bully into Tails In The City has to provide us with their Certificate of Exemption so that we know that the dog is being kept legally under the registration arrangements and has fully met all legal requirements.

2. Once we are assured that the dog meets legal requirements, we go through our usual trial processes. This enables us to assess the dog’s temperament, socialisation with other dogs, demeanour with pack leaders and so on.

3. As with all dogs, if we can socialise the dog with others of similar size/ play style/ temperament etc, we do. However, if we deem the dog to be too difficult to manage safely, we have no option but to refuse a place. Given the size and the carefully orchestrated organisation of Tails, these occasions are rare, but we do have precedent for making such decisions and we are not afraid of taking tough and difficult decisions for the safety and benefit of our Tails family.

4. We have an established small cohort of XL Bully dogs who attend our daycare happily and safely. These dogs are a sheer delight, loving and playful, and we are proud that they are part of our family. These dogs continue to be welcomed at Tails without fear of any discrimination.

5. Finally, if you, or anyone you know, has an XL Bully who cannot cope with our daycare structure but would like to exercise their dog in a safe, enclosed environment we are looking at procedures for hiring out our site for an hourly rate at weekends; please contact me directly for more information.

If you have any questions regarding our XL Bully breed arrangements, please don’t hesitate to give us a call – we’re be happy to help.