American XL Bully owner from Bedford 'devastated' by plans to ban the breed - and says “they are good dogs in the right hands"

The owner of an American XL Bully has criticised the government’s proposed ban on the breed as he compared his puppy to “a therapy dog”.

Jordan Gilbert, 30, who lives in Bedford, owns an 11-month-old American XL Bully called Zola, which he bought from a breeder recognised by the American Kennel Club for £5,000. He says he was devastated to hear the Prime Minister’s plans to ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year.

Jordan said: “I couldn't think of anything worse. I don’t understand why good owners should be penalised.”

Rishi Sunk announced that the breed, which was first registered and recognised in 2004, would go on the dangerous dog list after a spate of dog attacks in recent months. The Prime Minister called them “a danger to our communities and particularly, our children”.

But Jordan says this couldn’t be further from his experience with Zola, who he says is the calmest of the four dogs his family has.

He said: “That's my biggest analogy, this breed can be used as a therapy dog. The American Bully was created in the late 80s, early 90s – purely as a companion breed. A lot of the Bully-type dogs are high-energy, they require a lot of exercise. They are good dogs when they are in the right hands.”

Jordan added: “I disagree with those who say people are getting these dogs for protection. A lot of these attacks, if you look at these dogs, they're not American Bullies, they are Bully-type mixes. We don't even know what these are.”

Earlier this month, a man was mauled to death by suspected American XL Bullies in Staffordshire and shocking footage emerged of an attack in Birmingham that left a girl with serious injuries.

But Jordan believes the real issue is overbreeding. Jordan said: “What is happening now is people are just smashing dogs together and then selling them as American XL bullies. The prices were astronomical at one stage and a lot of people jumped on it. When you get a female dog, you don't provide the care for it, and you use it as a breeding machine, you get three litters before it even turns 18 months old and then you want to get rid of the dog and send it to a different home.

"When you look at a lot of the attacks, a lot of them were rescues and they've been taken by someone with no experience. And that's where the real issue is: People are getting these abused dogs.”

Dogs Trust has advised XL Bully owners to prepare for the impending ban by “making sure your dog is neutered, microchipped and trained to wear a muzzle”.

And while he doesn't want the breed to be banned, Jordan would like to see licenses introduced for dog owners, which has also been called for by campaigners. He said: “I definitely support dog licences. Also, a dog register. I believe if you own, not just an American Bully, but any dog that can cause significant damage, you should be held on a register. If something happens, where you're deemed to have not been in control of your dog, then you, as the owner, are held liable. I'm all for that.”

Meanwhile, an expert group including the RSPCA and the Kennel Club warned that breed bans are not the most effective way to counter the issue, with the number of dog attacks rising since four breeds were banned in 1991.