Report: At least 246 XL Bully dogs to be euthanized in England. Israel plans to release 42 Palestinian prisoners, according to reports

At least 246 animals are likely to have to be euthanized due to the announced ban on so-called XL bully dogs in England and Wales, according to a media report. These are dogs that are currently housed in animal shelters, Sky News reported on Saturday.

After several, sometimes fatal, dog attacks, the British government has decided that from the new year, so-called XL Bullies may no longer be sold or brought into new homes. Therefore, specimens in animal shelters should be killed if they do not find new masters before the turn of the year.

Animal shelter association Association Dog and Cat Homes expects that significantly more XL Bullies will live in animal shelters and that the number of affected animals will therefore be higher. Animal protection organization Blue Cross estimates the cost of euthanasia at 90,000 pounds (100,000 francs). The reason is high cremation costs and more medication due to the size of the animals. The animal welfare charity RSPCA warned that even dogs that were never abnormal could be euthanized.

From February, animals that can remain privately housed with special permits must also be neutered. Here too, animal rights activists expect high costs.

The government is offering XL Bully owners a £200 government share if they agree to euthanasia. But the money will not replace “the love and affection of a beloved pet,” Blue Cross criticized. According to shelters, the number of abandoned dogs across the country has already increased. According to estimates by the Ministry of the Environment, there are more than 10,000 XL bullies in the country, and animal rights activists estimate that there are as many as 15,000. (sda/dpa)