Introduction to the Kennels
Behind high fences and monitored by CCTV cameras, a loud chorus of barks fills the air. This is the location where many dangerous or banned dogs are taken after being seized.
Panorama was granted rare access to one of the private specialist kennels now frequently used to house these dogs following the introduction of XL bully bans across the UK in 2024. These kennels accommodate seized or abandoned animals that police forces cannot house themselves.
For security reasons, the location of the kennels and the identities of the staff have been withheld. The man who runs the kennels, referred to here as Mark, explained that some dogs have been seized from organised crime members who might attempt to reclaim or harm the staff.
This facility is one of seven operated by the same company, collectively housing over 500 XL bullies. During the visit, every kennel was at full capacity, with many cages covered by screens due to the volatility of some dogs, whose aggression could be provoked by the presence of visitors.
When an attack occurs, Mark and his team are called to seize the dog, sometimes finding the animal still with the victim's body.
"It's bad with an adult. It's even harder with a kid for me," Mark said. "I hate school holidays. I hate the half-term. I hate Christmas. I dread the phone ringing, because the bites do increase during the holiday period and half-term and it's just horrendous."
Official police data indicates that dog attacks in the UK have been increasing annually since 2018. Research shows that in the 12 months following the ban, at least six people were killed in attacks involving XL bullies.
The police tactical lead for dangerous dogs in England and Wales warned that attacks are likely to worsen before improving, as dogs acquired before the ban reach maturity.
The family of Morgan Dorsett, who was killed at 19 by an XL bully after the ban came into effect, spoke to Panorama and called for stricter legislation focusing more on owners, including checks similar to those required for firearms licenses.
"The legislation doesn't work. My daughter wouldn't be dead now if it did work," said Morgan's mother, Marie Smith.
In the two days following Panorama's visit, Mark reported that his team across the UK responded to 39 separate dog attacks, 17 involving XL bullies, resulting in nine people sustaining life-changing injuries.
'Dangerously Out of Control'
Mark cautioned visitors as he led them into the facility.
"We've never let cameras in before, but people need to understand what is happening in society, what they're reading in the papers, they need to understand it. This is a problem."
Rows of metal cages hold 120 dangerous dogs at this site, all either banned breeds or exhibiting high aggression levels.
Some dogs self-harm or become instantly aggressive, striking the metal bars. The week prior to the visit, one dog had broken out of its kennel into an adjacent one.
Each cage displays a large coloured sign grading the dog's aggression: green for least aggressive and black for most aggressive.
One black cage sign reads: "Dangerously out of control, bitten a neighbour on the face, breached exemption." Another states: "Bite score five, potentially fatal."
Before the XL bully ban, 90% of dogs at the kennels were graded green. Now, only two out of 120 dogs have this rating.
"We're always at capacity," Mark said. "There is never a time when our kennels aren't full. And in the last few years, it's XL bullies filling them."
Mark described the scenes he has witnessed after dog attacks as "like a horror movie".
"I've seen too many life-changing injuries over the last three years, more than people can even realise."
During the visit, Mark received an urgent call about a person trapped in a car with their attacking dog, requiring immediate police and kennel team intervention.
'Concentrate on Threat, Harm and Risk'
Under the 2024 legislation in England and Wales, XL bully owners must register their dogs and comply with lifelong restrictions such as muzzling, insurance, and neutering, aiming to eradicate the breed.
Owners could alternatively accept £200 government compensation and have their dog euthanised. Failure to comply risks the dog being seized and destroyed.
Similar bans exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Patrick O'Hara, tactical lead for dangerous dogs at the National Police Chiefs' Council, reported a more than one-third increase in dangerous animals requiring kennel housing since the ban.
The cost of housing these dogs rose from £4 million in 2018 to £25 million in the first year after the ban.
Police are prioritising resources due to the volume of dangerous dog callouts.
"We're just going to have to decide and concentrate on threat, harm and risk where there is more of a risk to the public than those lower-level cases," O'Hara said.
Dogs seized due to criminal allegations must remain in kennels until proceedings conclude, after which they are either returned or euthanised.
Mark stated that 85% of such dogs in his kennels are returned to their owners.
"Some of these dogs shouldn't be going home… that terrifies me, that they're going to be coming back in. And dogs have gone home that have bitten and come back," he said.
While many dogs at Mark's kennels have attacked people, some have been abandoned.
In the year before the ban, the RSPCA reported 21 XL bullies abandoned in England and Wales. In the first six months after the ban, 129 were abandoned.
By law, abandoned dogs must be kept for seven days to allow owners to reclaim them but are euthanised on the eighth day if they are banned breeds, as they cannot be rehomed.
"I certainly didn't come into this business to put dogs to sleep. But would you rehome that dog, not knowing anything? Would you put your name to it? Because I wouldn't," Mark said.
"I'm worried about when I have to sit in front of a coroner and say I'm sorry I rehomed that dog because I felt sorry for it. I'm sorry your daughter's lost an arm or been killed. And that's the reality of this situation."
Call for Change
The family of Morgan Dorsett, who was killed by an XL bully in Bristol in February 2025, a year after the new law was introduced, shared their experience.
"The dog weighed more than her. He went for the neck. I hope and pray that it was quick," Morgan's mother, Marie, said.
A woman has been charged with having a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.
Marie advocates for tougher laws focusing on owners rather than solely on dogs.
"To have a gun in your home you need to have a licence. You are then background checked… Where are these checks for these dogs? Where are they? There's none," she said.
"We can't just have her die for no reason. Something needs to happen from this."
O'Hara warned that XL bullies "will be with us for generations to come." He predicted that attacks will likely increase in the short term as these dogs mature.
In a statement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responsible for dangerous dogs in England and Wales, said it is "continuing to assess whether the current dog control rules are sufficient to ensure communities are protected."
The department noted the need to balance criticism of the ban with the responsibility to protect the public from dog attacks.
It also stated it is working closely with police, local authorities, veterinary bodies, and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the ban's impact and effectiveness.
