Northumberland Dog Rescue receives 'best Christmas present ever' thanks to XL Bully exemption

Jessie, a deaf XL Bully, came to the charity’s centre, just outside Alnwick, as a pup at the end of April. Aged just 12 weeks old, she was a typical playful puppy that loved to get into mischief and have fun.

Lee Fraser, charity trustee, explained: "We knew when we took her in that it would take time to fully assess her, and for all of us, including her, to learn doggy sign language, due to her total deafness.

“On October 31 2023, when the government announced the XL Bully breed ban, we immediately knew she wouldn't be ready for adoption by December 31 2023, the timescale was just too short.”

The centre had two options; to put the young dog to sleep and claim the £100 compensation the government were offering rescue centres, or find a way to look after Jessie as a permanent rescue. They didn’t for one minute consider the first option.

For Jessie to live, when rescue centres weren’t exempted, she had to be in a physical person's name, not an organisation's, so the centre’s full-time live-in manager proposed to adopt Jessie as her personal dog on site.

Following many petitions, on December 19 2023 the government published an exemption scheme for rehoming centres, allowing for exemptions of any XL Bully they took into their care prior to October 31 2023. This means Jessie won’t be put to sleep and will continue to be cared for.

She will be kept in a secure kennel between play and exercise times, something Jessie is used to, but will be able to interact with her four and two-legged friends from within.

Lee added: “Everyone at the rescue centre considers this to be the best Christmas present ever received.

“One thing is for sure, when the upcoming ban was announced we made a promise that we wouldn't give up on Jessie. As a fun loving playful healthy young dog, she's done nothing wrong that merits her being legally killed, and we will stick by our promise to her."

Full details of the exemption scheme for rehoming centres can be found at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1407/made.