XL Bully dogs

Dogs are much more than pets – they are loved members of our family, and as such we encourage responsible ownership.

If you own an XL Bully dog you must have an exemption certificate – or have applied for one – by 31 July 2024 to be allowed to continue to own your XL Bully.

From 1 August 2024, it will be an offence to keep an XL Bully dog in Scotland unless you have a certificate of exemption. 

You have until 31 July 2024 to apply for your exemption certificate online.  You can do this online here.

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in a paper application. This must be sent by 15 July 2024. If you apply shortly before the closing date, you may not receive your Certificate of Exemption by 1 August 2024. If this happens and we ask to see your certificate, you can show us proof that you applied.

The cost of an exemption will be £92.40 to register one dog.

The Scottish Government introduced new safeguarding regulations regarding XL Bully dogs in February 2024. These regulations are intended to ensure public safety and make it an offence to:

  • have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle
  • breed from an XL Bully dog
  • rehome, sell, buy or transfer ownership of an XL Bully dog
  • abandon an XL Bully dog or let it stray
  • give away an XL Bully dog

The penalties for anyone convicted of these offences are up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.

It is an offence to transfer or rehome ownership of an XL Bully dog.  This means that requests from tenants to bring a new XL Bully dog into their household will automatically be declined and we will notify our partner agencies e.g Police Scotland, Local Authorities etc.

We are currently reviewing our Pet Procedure, and after careful consideration we have made the following decisions:

Tenants who already have our permission to keep XL bully type dogs in their home will still have permission to keep them – however, this means that all legal guidance must be followed including:

  • having an exemption certificate and providing us a copy
  • ensuring that your dog is always muzzled and on a lead in public, including in a car. If you fail to adhere to this then you are in breach of your tenancy agreement.
  • New pet requests for XL bully type dogs for our new tenants will only be approved if an exemption certificate is in place or been applied for (we will ask for proof)

We would ask our tenants with XL bully type dogs to please contact our Customer Service Team at Customerservice@hillcrest.org.uk emailing a copy of their exemption certificate.  If you do not yet have a copy of this then please provide us confirmation that you have applied for it.

If you have an XL bully type dog, we would ask that before we enter your home your dog is muzzled and secured in an appropriate area/secured room.