XL Bully dogs being sold as little as £300 in north London

The breed on average goes for a few thousand pounds for pet owners wishing to buy a new pup, but it seems that the XL bullies in north London are going for much cheaper on the online advertisement website Gumtree and Pets4Homes.

Following the announcement of an impending ban on the sale of American XL Bullies, a rush to sell the breed has been reported on selling sites across the country.

The Independent reports that hundreds of these dogs have been advertised for sale online since the ban was proposed by Rishi Sunak, and immediately following his confirmation, a surge of the breed appeared on sites such as pets4homes.co.uk and social media platforms.

It is feared owners may aim to sell these dogs quickly as it's unlikely they will be able to do so legally following the proposed ban.

The cheapest we could find were two “beautiful” XL Bullies going for £300 each in Harrow. Chocolate, aged one, and Lala, aged two and a half, are up for sale.

A screengrab showing the Harrow advert (Image: Gumtree)

The owner says it’s due to them moving abroad, adding “I genuinely do not have the time or place nor the resources to cater for these two dogs”.

Comparatively, and advert from Muswell Hill, offering “puppies to go” – with currently one female and two males left.

In the picture for the advert, there are five XL bullies staring at the camera, but it appears only three are left on sale.

“Prices start from £800. We are open for viewing and negotiations,” the advert reads.

Elsewhere, four puppies priced between £450 to £600 are being offered in Wembley.

The advert says: “Both parents are abkc registered but prices are based on pups without papers.”

Another Harrow listing has five-month-old XL Bullies listed, one male going for £400 each but two females are going for £1,500 each.

• READ MORE: North London owner of puppy attacked by XL bully dogs wants reassurance over ban 'loopholes'
   

In Edgware, a litter of six puppies are being offered from £600, with others going for £800 and two going for £1,000.

The description says: “Mum is our own family pet and can be seen on visit . Thankfully she is a healthy and strong girl, and will be providing fit and healthy bully pups, perfect for any bully lover.”

On Pets4homes, a litter described as their “last generation of pups of the kind dog” is going for £500 from Highbury.

The Prime Minister’s ban, which is set to be implemented by the end of 2023, has been widely backed by the Labour Party, former Conservative home secretary Baron Baker of Dorking and multiple campaign groups.

This ban comes after several attacks by bully breeds, including an incident in Staffordshire where a man was fatally mauled, and a separate incident which went viral online, showing an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham sustaining serious injuries from a suspected XL Bully.

A screengrab from a video showing the aftermath of an XL Bully attack in Gladstone Park (Image: Handout)

Importantly, existing owners of American XL bullies will not face a cull after the ban, according to promises from the Prime Minister.

Downing Street states that measures will be enacted to deal with the current population of these dogs, possibly including mandatory neutering and muzzling of dogs in public, as advised by the Government’s chief vet.

The details of how the Government plans to "safely manage the existing population of these dogs" will be considered in an upcoming consultation according to the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson.

Asked by BBC Radio West Midlands if the planned ban would be enough to stop more people being harmed, Mr Sunak said: “These American XL bully dogs are a danger to our communities and we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and to protect the public, not just in the West Midlands but across the country.

“Last week ministers brought together police and the experts… to define the breed of the dog, and then once we have defined the breed of the dog we will be able to ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

“Those new laws will be in place by the end of the year.

“Exactly how that transition works, which you spoke to, is something that is being worked on between the police and the experts as I mentioned.

“But what is clear is these dogs are a danger to our communities and we are taking action to try and stop these attacks and protect the public.”