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XL bully ban: Does pet insurance cover XL bully dogs under new rules?
Some insurers have never covered the breed, while others told us they will no longer fully insure them after new rules came into effect on December 31 2023.
Other providers are still deciding on guidance and we will update this article as we get more information.
After a spate of high-profile XL Bully attacks which saw 23 people die since 2020, the breed has been put on the Dangerous Dogs Act list of banned breeds. From December 31 the dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public.
It is also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray.
At NimbleFins we have looked at the small print on a number of policies which state cover excludes dogs or crossbreeds of dogs in the Dangerous Dogs Act.
We have also asked for clarification from popular dog insurers, to find out which providers are still offering cover.
- XL Bully ban rules
- XL Bully ban rule dates
- XL Bully exemption
- Bully breed - what is an XL Bully?
- XL Bully insurance
XL Bully ban rules
The Government in England and Wales is phasing in the XL Bully rules to give owners enough time to prepare.
XL Bullies were officially put on the list of banned breeds on October 31 2023, but ownership rules did not come into force until December 31.
Now owners can only take their XL Bully dog out in public if it is muzzled and kept on a lead. It is also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray.
Throughout 2024 the Government is bringing in tighter measures to both monitor the population and stop breeding, with dogs needing to be registered, microchipped and neutered.
After the exemption deadline, it will be illegal to own an unregistered dog and they will be put down. Those who break the law face a criminal record and unlimited fine.
To keep an XL Bully owners must:
- Have legal liability insurance
- Register their dog for a Certificate of Exemption
- Microchip and neuter the dog
- Keep the dog muzzled and on a lead when in public
- Keep the dog secure so they can't escape
- Keep certificate details up to date on the Index of Exempt Dogs
- Show Certificate of Exemption within five days of being asked by a council dog warden or police officer
- Ensure the dog lives with the named keeper
- Be over the age of 16.
XL Bully ban rule dates
October 31 2023: American XL Bully added to the list of banned breeds in England and Wales.
December 31 2023: Illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray. XL Bully dogs must also be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
January 31 2024: Owners must register their dog (apply for a Certificate of Exemption) online by 12 noon. The postal deadline is January 15.
February 1 2024: Illegal to own an XL Bully that does not have a Certificate of Exemption.
March 31 2024: Deadline for XL Bully to be microchipped if they were less than eight weeks old when you applied for exemption. Number must be sent to Defra.
June 30 2024: Deadline to have dog neutered and evidence sent to Defra, for dogs who were aged over one years old on January 31 2024.
December 31 2024: Deadline to have dog neutered and evidence sent to Defra for dogs who were less than one-year-old on January 31 2024.
XL Bully exemption
XL Bully dogs are now banned, but owners can legally own them (and therefore stop them being put down) if they apply for a Certificate of Exemption.
They have until January 31 2024 to apply, but owners must also take a few steps to ensure they can be legally exempt.
The dog must be microchipped, neutered and covered by third party liability insurance. This insurance means if you follow all the legal rules to keep your dog safe from the public and it does attack someone, there is insurance in place to support the victim.
The Certificate of Exemption costs £92.40 for each XL Bully dog.
To apply for a Certificate of Exemption for an XL Bully click here.
XL Bully breed - what is an XL Bully?
An XL Bully is a muscular, powerful-looking, large dog at least 51cm (20 inches) tall for males and 48cm (19 inches) tall for a female.
Its head is large and broad, with a large nose with open nostrils.
The Government says it will consider a dog to be an XL Bully if it fits the minimum height measurements and the majority of the characteristics it has identified.
Importantly, this is even if your dog was not sold to you as an XL Bully.
Crossbreeds that look more like an XL Bully than other breeds will also be considered an XL Bully.
XL Bully insurance
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Under the new legislation all XL Bully owners must have third party liability insurance, which ensures if your dog does harm a member of the public of their belongings there is protection in place for the other person.
Some dog insurers are removing this from their XL Bully coverage, so owners may wish to contact their provider to check the status.
If you need third party liability insurance, the Dogs Trust provides this for anyone who signs up for their Companion Club membership. That is even the case for banned breeds. It costs £25 and you can find more information here.
However, if you want full insurance for your XL Bully, it may be more difficult to find a full policy as most providers don’t cover banned breeds. You maybe able to find specialist cover but that may be more expensive as they will be seen as higher risk to insurers.
It’s thought that although only 1 percent of the UK’s dog population is an XL Bully, they are responsible for 43 percent of attacks in 2023, according to campaign group Bully Watch.
We went to the main pet insurance providers to ask them if they would insure XL Bullies or honour existing policies and got a range of responses – from having never covered them, to reducing policy cover and to still working out details.
We’ll update the list below when we get more information from providers.
If your provider is not on the list below and does not cover XL Bullies and you want cover, you may need to use a broker to find a specialist provider. You can find a list of registered insurance brokers on the Association of British Insurers website.
XL Bully insurance - 4Paws
4Paws has never covered XL bully breeds because they have been crossed with American Pitbulls, which it has refused to insure.
A spokesperson told NimbleFins: "The XL Bully breed type was developed through the crossing of various bull breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier.
"We have never accepted any dog on cover that is crossed or mixed with an American Pit Bull Terrier. As a result, there are no additional steps we need to be taking as a business as a result of the change to the Dangerous Dogs Act."
XL Bully insurance - Animal Friends
Animal Friends told us it had not yet determined whether it would continue insuring XL Bullies, and was working on guidance.
A spokesperson told NimbleFins: "As a responsible insurer, we feel it is important that we uphold the Government’s breed specific legislation, known as the Dangerous Dogs Act, which was introduced in 1991 to protect members of the public from dog attacks.
“At Animal Friends, we also understand that pets are part of the family, so we will shortly be providing guidance on the measures we’ll be putting into place from 2024 to help any of our customers that may own a dog who could be classed as an XL bully."
XL Bully insurance – PetPlan
Although Petplan's terms and conditions state it does not insure dogs named in the Dangerous Dogs Act, it will honour any existing policies.
However, it will remove legal liability insurance after the owner's next renewal date.
Third party legal liability insurance for XL Bullies can be purchased at Dogs Trust via its Companion Club.
XL Bully insurance - other providers
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NimbleFins contacted other dog insurance providers to ask about covering XL Bullies. It has yet to have a response from Scratch & Patch and Tesco Bank.
But we did look at policy wording for Agria, ManyPets, Petplan and Animal Friends.
As explained above, Petplan is providing some cover for the XL Bully but Animal Friends has not yet confirmed its position.
The small print for Agria and ManyPets both say its cover excludes dogs registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
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