Prior to the Act there were no criminal penalties for injuries or deaths caused by dog attacks.

[10][11] In summary: Britain has a long history of various dog legislation in attempts to protect the public.

In 1997, the Act was amended, relaxing rules and giving courts more flexibility about euthanasia orders.

[10] On 15 September 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that XL Bully would be added to the Dangerous Dogs Act.

As of 2015, there were 3,001 Pit bull terriers on the Index, 6 Dogo Argentinos, 0 Fila Brasilieros, and 3 Japanese Tosas.

[24] As of 2018, there were 3,514 Pit bull terriers, 3 Japanese Tosas, 13 Dogo Argentinos, and 0 Fila Brazilieros.

[26] The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the British Veterinary Association are both against the breed-specific legislation provisions of the Act (Section 1), claiming that there is no scientific evidence that all individuals of a breed are dangerous.

[27][28] However, data from the Metropolitan Police shows that in incidents involving 'dangerously out of control dogs' banned breeds account for about 20% of offences.

That is highly disproportionate for one type of dog that is banned, and it underlines the need to be cautious about change in this area.

"[30] The RSPCA have been criticised for their opposition to breed-specific legislation, and their own pet insurance excludes certain breeds from coverage.

[41] A 1992 case involving a dog named Dempsey, a pit bull terrier which three years later had its destruction order reversed,[42][43] brought interest because of the lack of discretion that the Act gave magistrates regarding Section 1 dogs.