A DOG RESCUE  centre in South Wales has spoken out about their heartbreak after the ban on XL bullies forced them to put a 10-month old puppy to sleep. 

Hope Rescue, based in  Llanharan, shared the story of Coconut, a puppy formally assessed and recognised by police as a XL bully, and the reality of the action they had to take. 

The ban on XL bullies came into force at the beginning of February, meaning any owners must have an exemption certificate and keep their dogs muzzled and on a lead when out in public. 

Rescues have been under legislation since December 31 which made it illegal for them to rehome any XL bullies. 

The decision was made in light of a rise in dog attacks, including the tragic death of Caerphilly lad Jack Lis in November 2021 at the hands of a dog named Beast. 

In a heartfelt post on Facebook on 1 February, the team shared Coconut's story after she was left in the pound and not claimed by her owners. 

The team had been left "truly broken" by the decisions they were forced to make. They said the choice to share Coconut's story was "difficult" and they had thought "long and hard" about sharing it. 

In the post, the team said they had been placed in an "impossible situation" by the government. 

The full post reads: "We’ve been placed in an impossible situation by a government who we strongly agree had to take action to reduce the number of tragic bite incidents, but who chose to ignore the experts and instead introduced gesture legislation which will have little impact in addressing the underlying causes.

"From the 31st of December 2023 it became illegal for us to rehome XL Bullies.

"We hoped with all our hearts that responsible owners would do the right thing and register their dogs in order to comply with the legislation and keep their dogs safe.

"Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Coconut, a lovely 10-month-old girl who found herself in the pound and wasn’t claimed by her owner.

"She has been formally assessed as an XL Bully, which devastatingly meant we had no choice but to euthanise her."

South Wales Argus: Hope Rescue have spoken out about the XL bully ban after they were forced to put 10 month old pupOther charities, including PDSA, had expressed concerns about the XL bully ban and the reality of the stigma it would bring. 

Hope Rescue, who say they "care passionately" about all dogs, have been left "saddened" by the legislation that now legally forces them to put any XL bully dog that comes to them through their stray dog system to sleep. 

The post added: "Putting to sleep a young dog like Coconut, who never put a paw wrong, will not keep our communities safe from dog incidents.

"Clamping down on illegal breeding, better use of dog control notices, collaborative working around responsible dog ownership initiatives, stronger sentencing measures and increased resources for enforcement will."

When asked about her reactions to the ban, Hope Rescue founder and senior head of operations Vanessa Waddon said: "The ban won't be effective in reducing incidents of dog attacks. 

"While I agree something had to be done, this ban was not it. The government did not consider external factors that impact a dog's life - their behaviour, they way they are bred - and the fact that this applies to all dogs, regardless of breed. 

"The only way this is going to get resolved is by clamping down on breeding and improving legislation, including dog control notices - these would help improve the behaviour of individual dogs and get to the route of the problem."

Ms Waddon believes the government have gone for the "quick fix".

She added: "I feel very strongly that this is gesture legislation by the government. They wanted to be seen to be doing something and reassure the public, but it won't have any real impact.

"The real issue is far more complex and should be dealt with properly, such as giving tougher sentences for poor breeders. The government have taken the easiest route, and not actually considered the real issue."

The rescue will still take in these dogs from their stray program, but the ban means the staff will be forced to put them to sleep. 

Ms Waddon says rescues have been "hung out to dry" by the ban, as they no longer have control over what happens to these dogs. 

She said: "How is forcing my staff to put these dogs to sleep going to make our communities safer? 

"As rescues, we are just left to carry that burden and bear that heartache. We know the legislation won't be effective as it isn't going to tackle the problem of irresponsible breeders, who will just turn to the next breed. It's all about finding a way to improve the responsible ownership of dogs."