Voices: Should dog breed bans be axed in favour of stronger punishments for reckless owners? Join The Independent Debate

It’s been just days since it became a criminal offence to own an XL Bully, with all existing dogs required to wear a muzzle and be kept on a lead.

Police can seize the dogs if they are not registered or do not comply with strict restrictions - and owners face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

Animal charities, however, have been critical of the ban. The RSPCA has been pushing for an end to breed-specific bans which they say work against dogs perceived to be “dangerous” and lead to thousands of “innocent” animals being put down.

Instead they want to focus on individual actions and dangerous owners. A Dogs Trust spokesman agreed, adding: “Dogs Trust wants to see the current dog control laws replaced with one consolidated law that allows for early intervention with a focus on the prevention of dog bite incidents and includes measures that deter and punish owners of dogs whose behaviour is dangerous.

“We will continue to look for reform in existing dog control laws until we are satisfied that any new measures are preventative, breed-neutral and effective, and ultimately protect both dogs and people alike.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said they had been informed that around 40,000 dog owners had registered their pets since the ban was announced by Rishi Sunak in September.

But the Met warned as many as 10,000 of the animals could be without a certificate of exemption, which is now required under law. And on Saturday, it emerged a grandmother died after being attacked by two dogs described as XL Bullies while visiting her 11-year-old grandson in Essex.

We want to know your opinions on the XL Bully ban. Do breed-specific bans work? Or should action be focused on owners?

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