Brand new dog law affecting 5 breeds takes effect Sunday — criminal offence

A fresh piece of legislation concerning five dog breeds comes into force on Sunday. From 1 November 2026, it will be illegal to leave a child under 12 in close contact with certain dogs in a private setting without adult supervision. The dogs in question are those that feature on the UK's banned dogs list. While owning these dogs is prohibited, it is possible to obtain a certificate of exemption to keep them, and tens of thousands of them currently reside across the UK.

It is also illegal to sell, abandon, give away or breed from a banned dog. Furthermore, whether your dog is classified as a banned type depends on its physical appearance, rather than its breed or name. Therefore, if authorities determine that your dog matches the characteristics of a banned breed, it may be deemed a banned type. The banned dogs in the UK are: Pit Bull Terrier Japanese Tosa Dogo Argentino Fila Brasileiro XL Bully Despite the prohibition, vast numbers of these dogs remain across the UK — the XL Bully was not banned until 1 February 2024, while the remaining breeds have all featured in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The XL Bully was held responsible for the deaths of 23 people in the two years preceding the ban, yet fatalities continued even after it came into effect, reports the Express . By the end of 2024, more than 57,000 were registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), though they were being put down at a rate of more than 100 a month at that time. However, these are not the only prohibited dogs residing in Britain.

According to the UK Parliament website , in 2021 there were 3,655 Pit Bull Terriers listed on the Index of Exempted Dogs, 20 Dogo Argentino dogs and three Japanese Tosa dogs. Owners who hold a certificate of exemption permitting them to keep a banned breed must comply with stringent regulations throughout the dog's entire life. The dogs must be: neutered fitted with a microchip kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public kept in a secure place so it cannot escape Should you own a banned dog, the UK Government states that police or local council dog wardens are entitled to seize and detain it, even if it is behaving perfectly safely or no complaints have been made.

If the dog is on private property, the police must obtain a warrant to do so. A police or council dog expert will subsequently assess what breed of dog you own and whether it poses, or could pose, a risk to the public. The dog could then be returned to you, placed in kennels or put down. It is the owner's responsibility to demonstrate that their dog is not a prohibited breed. Should you succeed in proving this, a court will order the dog's return.

If you are unable to prove it, or admit it is a banned breed, you will be convicted of an offence and could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment for up to six months (or both). Your dog will also be destroyed.