Owners of XL Bully-type dogs in Jersey are warning of life-or-death consequences for their pets as the only known source of mandatory third-party public liability insurance prepares to withdraw from the market.
In November, Jersey’s politicians approved tighter dog control laws. Among the measures was a requirement for “dangerous dogs” to hold third‑party public liability insurance, with any policy needing approval from the States Veterinary Officer.
The change brings Jersey closer to the regime in England and Wales, where XL Bully dogs were added to the list of prohibited types under the Dangerous Dogs Act and where owners of exempted XL Bullies must carry third‑party public liability cover as a condition of keeping their animals.
However, while the legal requirement in Jersey is clear, capacity is not. According to a report from BBC, the only insurer available for Jersey XL Bully-type dogs, Dogs Trust UK, is cancelling its third-party insurance from July, citing rising claims and costs.
Dogs Trust said thousands of owners signed up to its Companion Club insurance scheme when the UK banned the breed, which increased its costs “significantly”. When the ban came into force in England and Wales, owners seeking exemption were required to obtain third‑party public liability insurance, and Dogs Trust membership became one of the main routes to compliance.
"As a charity, we can no longer afford to offer this benefit and have had to make the very difficult decision to remove third-party public liability insurance from Companion Club from 1 July 2026," Dogs Trust said. "We are disappointed to be in this situation, and it's a decision we have not taken lightly."
According to the report, Jersey officials estimated there are about 15 XL Bully-type dogs on the island.
Nina Morgan, an owner of an American Bulldog, told BBC that the UK had "done nothing" to help with third‑party insurance for dangerous dogs in the two years since its ban and it was "very unlikely" Jersey's government were not aware of the insurance issue too when it brought in its law changes.
She said she felt owners were "being set up".
"It's very unlikely that nobody knew about it, that it was gonna happen, which means that when legislation is brought forward, somebody knew that down the line we were going to be unable to comply with the law," she said.
Constable Mike Jackson, head of the Constables Committee which put forward the approved amendments, said "the last thing" he would want was a dog to be put down for lack of insurance and that the States Vet was "looking at the alternatives" alongside DEFRA and UK counterparts.
"Clearly there needs to be insurance because these dogs are dangerous so they may be looking to other providers to see how that can be covered off," he said. "I think everything is insurable but at a price, so that's where the work's being done at the moment."
However, for insurers, that price is likely to reflect elevated loss frequency for XL Bully‑type dogs, heightened public and political scrutiny, and the potential severity of injury and fatal claims.
