PCC secures extra police cash to deal with ‘dangerous dogs’

• Gloucestershire Constabulary is to get an extra £100k to deal with dangerous dogs
• The cost to police of kennelling banned breeds like XL Bully dogs has risen by more than 400% in recent years
• Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said “This is another of the lesser-known responsibilities that fall to the Constabulary and one that is becoming more and more expensive”
• The funding is Gloucestershire’s share of a £9.4m grant from The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs to police forces up and down the country and has been granted following consistent lobbying from PCCs. 

Gloucestershire Constabulary is to get extra money to deal with the growing problem of banned dog breeds.

The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is contributing £9.5m to police forces up and down the country towards the cost of finding kennels for XL Bully dogs, which have been banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Gloucestershire’s share is £116k.

The funding comes at a time when most police budgets, including Gloucestershire’s, are under pressure.

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said, “Thankfully, this is not a problem we hear about very often. But when they do happen, attacks by dangerous dogs can be catastrophic.

“Kennelling banned breeds like XL Bully dogs is another of the lesser-known responsibilities that fall to the Constabulary and it is becoming more and more expensive as we have had to hire new people to deal with changes in legislation, as well as booking out kennelling at substantial cost”.

The Constabulary’s finances show that:

• In 2022/23, the cost of kennelling was £70k
• In 2024/25, it was £298k, an increase of more than 400%
• In 2025/26, the Constabulary has set aside £333k

“I’m pleased that the collective lobbying from PCCs across the country has been rewarded. This will help the Constabulary meet the increasing costs of dealing with XL bully dogs at a time when the budget is under severe pressure”, said Mr. Nelson.

“Costs and volumes are definitely increasing and this is only a third of our costs so far. But we’re very grateful for government recognising the massive new burden this new legislation has placed on us”.