Police Kennelling Expenditure Surges Dramatically Following XL Bully Legislation
Police departments throughout England and Wales are confronting extraordinary financial pressures as kennelling and veterinary costs have more than tripled since the implementation of the XL bully ban in 2024. Data obtained through freedom of information requests from 22 police forces reveals that average spending per force escalated from £137,400 in 2022-23 to £423,136 in 2024-25, representing a substantial financial burden on already strained law enforcement budgets.
West Mercia Records Most Extreme Cost Increase
West Mercia police documented the most dramatic expenditure surge, with annual kennelling and veterinary expenses climbing from £92,383 in 2022-23 to £715,349 in 2025-26. This staggering 674% increase highlights the significant financial impact of enforcing the controversial dangerous dog legislation. John Campion, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for West Mercia, emphasized the strain on resources, stating that policing is already stretched to its limits with rising costs and growing demand.
"Kennelling is essential for public safety, but without proper government support these costs risk impacting frontline services," Campion warned, highlighting the difficult balance between public protection and fiscal responsibility.
Multiple Forces Experience Triple-Digit Percentage Increases
Several other police forces reported similarly alarming expenditure growth. Lancashire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Norfolk, and Sussex all recorded spending increases exceeding 300% between 2022-23 and 2024-25. Patrick O'Hara, the National Police Chiefs' Council tactical lead on dangerous dogs, expressed unprecedented concern, noting he had "not known this type of demand in my 26 years' service."
O'Hara further explained that kennelling needs have increased by approximately one-third since the ban took effect, with demand showing no signs of slowing. "In the short term I think we will continue to see dog attacks as these dogs start to come of age and reach maturity. So I think it's going to probably get worse before it gets better," he cautioned in an interview with the BBC.
Court Delays and Welfare Concerns Compound the Issue
Experts point to court delays as a significant factor increasing both the duration and cost of kennelling seized dogs. Benedict Treloar, co-founder of the Campaign for Evidence-Based Regulation of Dangerous Dogs, suggested that cases involving XL bullies should be accelerated to prevent prolonged kennelling periods that negatively impact animal welfare.
"It does seem like the dogs being kennelled are the dogs which are more dangerous, but it is obviously the case that they're stuck in kennels and we don't want that from a dog welfare perspective," Treloar noted, emphasizing the complex ethical dimensions of the enforcement approach.
RSPCA Criticizes Enforcement Priorities and Calls for Data Collection
Dr. Samantha Gaines, head of companion animals science and policy at the RSPCA, criticized the current enforcement strategy, arguing that resources are being misdirected. "There's been a huge surge in spend to try and enforce this legislation and our concern is that the money has been spent basically rounding up dogs which look like XL bullies instead of actually going out and tackling those dogs whose behaviour genuinely is causing risk to public safety," she asserted.
The RSPCA, which opposed the XL bully ban, advocates for compulsory recording of dog bite incidents to better understand the scale and causes of dangerous dog incidents. The organization emphasizes education and prevention rather than seizure-focused approaches to animal control.
Mixed Evidence on Ban Effectiveness and Attack Statistics
The debate continues regarding whether the ban has achieved its intended objectives, with limited data making precise impact assessment challenging. Recorded dog attacks on people in England and Wales reached 31,920 in 2024, representing a 2% increase from 2023 when the ban was introduced. Media-reported deaths involving XL bullies decreased from six in 2024 to three in 2025, though 2026 has already seen two reported fatal dog attacks whose breeds remain unconfirmed by police.
Statistical challenges complicate accurate tracking, as UK death data relies on recording dates rather than incident dates, and all dangerous dog fatalities undergo inquests and potential criminal prosecutions that delay reporting. Despite these limitations, CEBRDD points to Google Trends data showing reduced searches for bully XL dogs as evidence of declining interest in the breed, suggesting the population will gradually diminish over time.
"We still have 40,000-50,000 bully XLs within the population so we would expect there to be some ongoing attacks from them," Treloar acknowledged. "But by preventing further sale of those dogs and preventing them from becoming a greater part of the dog population, we aimed to hold deaths flat and then hoped they would come down over time."
The financial implications of the XL bully ban continue to unfold across police departments, raising important questions about resource allocation, enforcement effectiveness, and long-term strategies for addressing dangerous dog incidents while maintaining fiscal responsibility and animal welfare standards.
