Vets urged to help owners with XL bully neutering costs

Vets are being encouraged to help the owners of XL bully dogs who cannot afford neutering to access financial support from three leading welfare groups.

Battersea, Blue Cross and the RSPCA have announced plans to provide assistance for owners who have already completed the other steps necessary to keep their dogs after the forthcoming ban is implemented.

But, as investigations continue into the death of a suspected XL bully found in a south London alleyway over the Christmas period, they have also warned that abandonments are on the rise.

Insufficient

Under the Government’s plans, owners can claim £200 compensation towards the cost of euthanising an XL bully – an amount critics view as insufficient.

However, there is no equivalent support for neutering or obtaining confirmation that the procedure had been carried out previously, despite deadlines in June and December being set for its completion depending on the age of the individual dog when the ownership ban comes into force at the end of January.

The charities’ plan will allow for up to £250 to be provided towards the cost of neutering an individual eligible dog.

The scheme, which will be managed through the Blue Cross group’s Veterinary Care Fund, is due to open on 5 February, with RSPCA vouchers being provided to help with urgent cases in the interim period.

Owners will also need to prove they have completed the other required steps to exempt their dog from the ownership ban.

Apply on behalf

It is envisaged that practices would apply for the funding on behalf of their clients online, with payments, which will vary depending on gender and procedure, being made directly to them.

A joint letter, signed by RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen, her Blue Cross counterpart Paul Manktelow and Battersea operations director Lucy Hastings, said: “While we understand the pressure that practices are under at the moment, we would be grateful if you could support owners in need by meeting the requirements of the exemption process and help keep pets and their people together.

“As of 31 December, rescues can no longer rehome XL bully type dogs, so while we understand that practices and vets may not want to euthanise healthy animals, we are afraid that rescue organisations can no longer help these dogs.

“We would ask that you consider what is likely to be in the best welfare interests of the dog. We are now seeing an increase in abandonments, putting even greater pressure on our teams who are dealing with the heartbreaking reality for dogs they have been caring for.”

Those concerns have been further highlighted after a dog, believed to have been an XL bully, was found dead in Carshalton on 30 December. RSPCA officers, who have appealed for information about the incident, said the dog’s front legs had been bound and set on fire. He had also suffered a major head trauma, which vets believe caused his death, and had one of his ears partially cut off.

Legal challenges

Elsewhere, legal challenges to the ban are continuing after an attempt to obtain an injunction was rejected by the High Court shortly before Christmas. A campaign group, Don’t Ban Me Licence Me, is seeking a judicial review of the ban and a further hearing is expected to take place later this month.

But, in a separate case, a temporary injunction has been granted to prevent dogs that were moved into the rescue sector after 31 October – the deadline set in a plan to allow rescue groups to seek ownership exemptions that was outlined by Defra last month – from being euthanised, until a further hearing on the issue takes place.

Meanwhile, the BVA said it has yet to receive a formal response from Defra to its letter calling for the neutering deadline to be extended to June 2025 for dogs that are aged seven months or less when the ownership ban is implemented. The proposal has also been supported by the EFRA select committee.