Cruelty cases involving dogs in Wales have risen by 19% in the 2024-2025 period, and by 55% over the last five years, according to the latest RSPCA figures. Staffordshire bull terriers and bulldog-type dogs account for nearly a quarter of deliberate cruelty cases.
The UK government introduced a ban on the XL bully breed, citing its disproportionate involvement in recorded deaths since 2021. However, some experts suggest that the ban, coupled with "alpha-style dog training" methods, may be contributing to the mistreatment of related breeds. Fiona Rees-Davies, a teaching assistant from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, shared the story of her rescue dog, Duchess, a Staffordshire bull terrier, highlighting the challenges faced by owners of such dogs.
Duchess was found abandoned and severely underweight, surviving initially on food pushed through a letterbox. After her rescue, she was adopted by Rees-Davies but sadly succumbed to a cancerous tumor. Rees-Davies noted that even with Duchess, who was a loving and friendly dog, people would often avoid them on walks, crossing the street and projecting negative assumptions onto the dog.
"People would think, 'oh, she's a nasty dog'," Rees-Davies said. "And of course she wasn't - and they [Staffordshire bull terriers] aren't."
Rees-Davies believes there is now a stigma surrounding other "muscular" dog types, including Staffordshire bull terriers, due to the XL bully ban. This perceived stigma, she suggests, may be contributing to a rise in mistreatment and cruelty cases against these breeds.