XL Bully Type Dogs
XL Bully Type Dogs at The Stilton Dog Field
As the owner of The Stilton Dog Fields I have received calls from so many concerned dog owners, anxious and scared of what the future brings for their XL Bully Type Dogs.
I have sought advice and clarification from my insurers and although things may yet change, this is how I intend to move forward at The Stilton Dog Field.
From the 1st February 2024 it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales unless you have a Certificate of Exemption for that dog. The Law says that from 31st December 2023 these exempt dogs will have to be muzzled and on a lead when in public, including when they are exercised, unless they are locked inside a secure private field which they cannot escape from.
Here at The Stilton Dog Field we know the mental and physical rewards of a dog being able to run and play freely without a muzzle and lead and want to do everything we can to help ALL dog owners exercise their dogs safely and within the law. We very much welcome ALL breeds to book our fields. With this ban coming into force, we recognise that our fields will be invaluable to the owners of these banned breeds and we want to help as much as we can in these difficult times.
We also recognise that some field users may be anxious about coming across these dogs and hope that our XL Bully Policy detailed below will help reassure them of their continued safety in our fields. We have always had these dogs coming to visit our fields and we have never had a single hint of an issue with any of them while in our fields. However the 5 minute buffer and padlock should help to avoid any crossover issues.
As long as owners hold an exemption certificate and valid liability insurance they will be welcome to book Field 2 (The Farm Field) and The Woodland Walk to exercise their XL Bully type dogs. Owners will have to send me a copy of their certificate before they can book. Their bookings will be 5 minutes shorter to avoid any crossover with other customers. Dogs will have to be muzzled and on a lead when being taken from the carpark to the field and once inside the field the owners will have to padlock themselves in. At this point the lead and muzzle can be removed. Bookings should be single household only with a minimum ratio of 1 adult to 1 dog. Sadly even the exempt XL Bully will no longer be able to attend our Social Sessions.
These procedures are subject to change as and when there is more clarity on the situation from the Government. I am always happy to have a chat with worried owners who may have questions. I am putting these procedures in place to protect your Bully’s and you. I want you to have a stress free time in our fields.
To use our fields with an XL Bully:
- Register your XL Bully with us - through our online registration form
- Send us a copy of their exemption certificate - this will be held on record so you only have to do this once for each dog
- Book Field 2 or The Woodland Walk via our XL Bully booking option (field 1 will not be available to book for XL Bully’s)
- Your session will start at 5 past the hour - to avoid any accidental overlap
- Dogs must be muzzled and on a lead in the car park
- When you enter the field, there will be a padlock on the fence with a different code, this is for you to lock yourself into the field. The code will come via text before your booking, along with the normal entry code
- Once locked in, you can un-muzzle your dog and let them run free.
- Please make sure you re-muzzle and leash your dog before you take them back to the car park and your car.
- Your session ends at 5 to the hour.
Please do not abuse our willingness to support XL Bully owners at this difficult time, please do not ‘meet up’ with others at the field. If you break the law, we will not be able to allow you to book again and you will jeopardise the future for all XL Bullies our fields.
