Flávia Gouveia: XL Bully ban will not stop fatal dog attacks

AS a dog owner my stomach sank when I saw the news that Northern Ireland will follow Britain in banning XL Bully dogs.

Not because their status as beloved pets should automatically exempt them from action to prevent dog attacks, but because breed bans frame dogs as autonomous agents and ignore the human at the end of the lead.

News of a spike in the number of fatal dog attacks, some involving XL Bully dogs, led up to the first ban announcement in England and Wales.

And the ban has since been largely replicated by Scotland and now Northern Ireland.

The public outcry is very much understandable. Figures show that the number of dog attacks is on the rise.

Dog attacks are a real threat and must be addressed urgently, but another breed ban may not be as effective as the public is being led to believe.

Since the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act, several breeds have already been banned, including American pitbull terriers, Japanese tosas, dogo Argentinos and fila Brasileiros.

But according to data published by the RSPCA, banning breeds simply isn’t effective. In fact over 20 years (1999 to 2019), dog bites have increased by 154% from 3454 to 8775.

What these statistics suggest is that dog attacks are not simply about dangerous breeds being out of control.

One reason driving the recent spike in attacks is simply that dog ownership has gone up in recent years. With more dogs, the risk of attacks goes up.

Dog ownership saw a steep rise during the COVID pandemic. While we were confined to our homes and removed from our daily routines and support systems, many of us sought companionship from four-legged friends.

Rising demand led to a spike in illegal and irresponsible breeding as unscrupulous breeders sought to capitalise in this market boom.

And many of these dogs were not properly socialised, with many first time dog owners - myself included - not not fully appreciating the impact that lockdown would have on their furry friends.

We now have a whole generation of dogs which are more likely to have behavioural issues - including anxiety and aggression.

The issue here - as it almost always is when it comes to dog aggression and dog attacks - is responsible ownership.

This involves ensuring that dogs are sourced from responsible breeders, or better even rescued, that they are properly socialised and trained and that any behavioural issues are properly addressed.

While we can debate whether some dogs are more aggressive than others, what we can be certain of is that if dog owners are responsible the risk of aggression and attacks are significantly reduced.

Government funding and resources would be better directed towards enforcing current requirements, improving education around dog ownership and clamping down on illegal breeding.

Let's not pretend the latest ban will resolve a bigger issue.

In fact, what it may do is provide the public with a false sense of security, when in reality dog attacks are still a risk.