ZestVibe

A new controversial ban on XL bully breeds went into place on December 31 in the United Kingdom, forcing owners of this breed to change their daily routines.

The law makes it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon, or let XL bully dogs stray. And for the owners who already have XL Bully dogs, they must keep them on a lead and muzzled when in public. By February 1, all XL bully dogs must be registered.

This ban is turning dog owner Amy Calver's world upside down. Her 14-month-old bully is forced to wear a muzzle both in public as well as in her car, she told Newsweek. She said that walking with Brax who has to wear a muzzle now is heartbreaking.

"The first walk he was shaking and crying the whole way," she said. "He is much more shy and timid than the bouncy boy he was before."

Other than the crying during his first walk, Brax has been wearing the muzzle fine, she said. But, it is still an adjustment to both of their daily routines. She's waiting for another muzzle to come in that will fit him more comfortably.

In Tuesday's TikTok video posted to her account @amyjane900, Brax was out on a walk with the muzzle in place. He spotted a stick he wanted to play with, but because of the muzzle restriction, he was unable to grab it.

"I had to stop recording as he looked at me, started to cry, and tried to dig at it to get it," the caption reads.

Seeing her dog so upset based on a law that was no fault of his own completely broke Calver. Their daily walks are going to look quite different from now on. She ended up carrying home another stick she found and let him play with it inside the house.

Calver's world getting flipped around doesn't just end with keeping Brax on a lead and with a muzzle. She's facing a housing crisis because of this new law.

"I may still be at risk of not being able to keep my social housing because I won't murder him," Calver said. "My housing hasn't yet decided if I can keep my dog."

This ban was a result of "a concerning rise in attacks," an article from the U.K. government website states. The article states that 23 people lost their lives over the past three years from dog attacks, with XL bullies being involved in many of the attacks.

Newsweek previously reported that U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the American XL bullybreed "a danger to our communities" and especially children. The breed has been responsible for more 50 percent of U.K. dog attacks between 2021 and 2023. Four of the victims in the past year have been children.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jpuspaSpYq%2BzscSdZKato6l6uLHAq2SmraqvuaZ5xaijpaennruoec2ermatm2K5osOMam9ub2Rsfg%3D%3D