According to the College of Veterinarians in the Balearics, 1,073 American Bully dogs are registered on the islands, 863 of them in Mallorca. In Palma there are 408; the dogs are registered in 46 of the 67 municipalities in the Balearics.
The Bully XL is one of four categories. It is the one that has been banned in England and Wales; it is now illegal unless owners have exemption certificates. A ban in Scotland is due to start on February 23, while a decision on a ban in Northern Ireland is expected shortly.
In the Balearics, owners must have insurance and specific authorisations issued by town halls. When the dog is walked, it must be on a leash and have a muzzle. At present, there are no plans for special measures for the possession of American Bully XL dogs in the Balearics.
Before the England and Wales ban came into effect on February 1, some twenty or so people protested in Palma against the putting-down of dogs they insisted were not dangerous. A spokesperson for the protesters said that the problem was not the dogs but owners who fail to train the dogs properly.