Home Secretary Suella Braverman is pushing for a ban of the American XL Bully dog, arguing they are a “clear and lethal danger” – particularly to children.
The Cabinet minister announced that she has commissioned “urgent advice” on outlawing the breed after she highlighted an “appalling” attack on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police were investigating after the girl and two men who intervened were injured in the incident in the Bordesley Green area on Saturday.
“This is appalling. The American XL Bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children,” Ms Braverman wrote on social media.
“We can’t go on like this.
“I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.”
The advice was commissioned last week, an adviser said, with it being the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ responsibility to add the breed to the banned list.
Emma Whitfield, the mother of 10-year-old Jack Lis – who died after being mauled by one of the dogs Caerphilly, South Wales, has been calling for a change in the law.
Sir John Hayes, a close ally of Ms Braverman, has been pushing in the House of Commons for a ban of the dog he has claimed is “bred to kill”.
However, animal charities including the RSPCA have been pushing for a new approach, arguing the Dangerous Dogs Act has failed to protect the public.
There are currently four banned breeds of dog in the UK, the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro.
The American Bully XL is closely related to the pit bull terrier, but is not subject to any legal restrictions itself.