I’m appalled at being offered £200 to put my dog down – I’ll never do it and ban will put many at risk
A FURIOUS XL Bully owner has slammed the government’s payment offer to put down the breed and says she’ll protect her “family” at all costs.
Jordan Morgan refuses to euthanize her three year old and nine month old XL American Bully dogs – Eddy and Milo – despite the ban coming into force in February,
The “frustrated” owner, from Surrey, England, hit back at the “backwards” rules and will refuse to let them go.
“I’m so frustrated that the government have not only gone ahead with the ban of the American bully, but have offered £200 in compensation if you choose to euthanise your dog,” said the 26-year-old.
“However if you would like to keep your dog , it will cost [just under] £100 for an exemption.
“It all seems backwards to me.
“Pay to keep your dog, get paid to kill your dog?”
“They [my dogs] are my family and they are innocent.”
The fitness and health coach added she fears the amount of people who will choose to put down their dogs, or abandon them on the street.
“Purely because they feel they don’t have a choice or can’t face the stress of keeping a breed that is now banned,” she added.
‘THEY ARE OUR FAMILY’
The disgusted American XL Bully owner is doing everything she can to keep her pups, including training and muzzling them.
She described Eddy and Milo as the “most loving, funny” and “soppy” dogs there are.
“We took them to the beach the other day and it makes me so sad to think that they won’t have the freedom to run around like that anymore,” Jordan said.
“They are my best friends.
“They love everyone they meet and everyone that meets them falls in love with them.
“They are our family.”
‘A BIG RESPONSIBILITY’
Jordan feels irresponsible dog owners are the root of recent tragedies inflicted by the breed.
It comes hundreds of XL Bully attacks have been recorded in the UK across the past year.
Campaign group, Bully Watch UK, has documented 351 attacks by the dogs in 2023.
A 17 month old sadly lost her life after being mauled to death by an XL Bully in her own home.
Bella-Rae’s mum watched in horror and helpless as her little girl was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
In September two of the dogs mauled a man to death as he tried to protect his elderly mum.
Ian Price, from Stonall, Staffordshire, tragically died from his injuries.
Meanwhile last month a dad was killed by an XL Bully that also launched an attack on two other people.
Ian “Scouse” Langley, 54, was protecting his puppy when the animal locked its jaws on him outside a home in Sunderland.
However, Jordan believes a ban is not the way forward and there are other solutions to crack down on the dog attack epidemic.
The 26-year-old prided herself on working from the start to socialise Eddy and Milo and integrate them into society safely.
“Having a larger breed is a big responsibility and it’s a shame that other owners have not done the same,” she said.
“Irresponsible dog owners are the reason for this ban and they will also be the ones who won’t be following the new rules.
“Banning breeds has been proven not to work yet licensing models have been proven to work.
“It’s a shame that the government couldn’t even give us a chance to try and make something like that work.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced new laws for the controversial breed on Tuesday,
From February 1, 2024, it will be a criminal offence to own the breed and owners will be able to claim £200 if they “choose not to keep” their pet and let a registered vet euthanize them.
It comes after figures released by the NHS have shown the horrifying number of victims mauled by XL bully dogs and other breeds.
Results found the top 20 areas of the UK where hospitals perform the most operations to save the victim’s lives.
- Kent and Medway – 250
- Black County – 180
- Coventry and Warwickshire – 170
- Devon – 165
- Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West – 160
- Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire – 160
- Cheshire and Merseyside – 160
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight – 160
- South East London – 150
- Norfold and Waveney – 150
- West Yorkshire – 150
- North East and North Cumbria – 145
- Derby and Derbyshire – 145
- North West London – 145
- South West London – 145
- Sussex – 140
- South Yorkshire – 135
- West Yorkshire – 130
- Hertfordshire and West Essex – 120
- Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes – 10
Fatal dog attacks in 2023
Five people have died in dog attacks this year:
- Natasha Johnston, 28 – killed by a pack of dogs in Surrey in January
- Alice Stones, 4 – attacked in her back garden in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in February
- Wayne Stevens, 51 – mauled by an “out-of-control” dog in Derby in April
- Jonathan Hogg, 37 – savaged to death by an American XL Bully in Leigh in May
- Woman in her 70s – mauled to death as she sunbathed in her Warwickshire garden