England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has been fined after admitting he failed to register his banned XL Bully dog, with his lawyer insisting the oversight was due to his hectic schedule.
The 25-year-old, valued at £60million, was pursued by East Midlands Police Legal Services after neglecting to log his pet hound, Harlo, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, owners were required to register all XL Bullies by last February after the breed was outlawed following a string of violent attacks across the country.
Gibbs-White, who did not attend Nottingham Magistrates’ Court because of England duty ahead of Tuesday’s match against Latvia, was represented by solicitor Mark Haslam.
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According to The Sun, the player’s legal team said he had “fully cooperated with the investigation” and was “doing everything in his power to put things right.”
Haslam explained that Gibbs-White had complied with every other legal condition of ownership, including neutering, microchipping and ensuring Harlo is muzzled and kept on a lead in public.
“All the conditions we were aware of have been met, apart from the registration, which will be met,” he said.
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England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has been fined after admitting he failed to register his banned XL Bully dog (not pictured, stock image), with his lawyer insisting the oversight was due to his hectic schedule
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The court heard that Gibbs-White missed the registration deadline because of his busy professional schedule.
“Quite simply, he forgot to comply with the DEFRA registration,” Haslam stated.
“He is a busy boy. But ever since it was drawn to his attention, he agreed to put it right. The destruction order will not become necessary because the registration will be met. There will be no failure on his part.”
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XL Bully's are considered a dangerous dog breed in the UK
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District Judge Grace Leong accepted the explanation but issued a stern warning.
She ruled that the midfielder must register Harlo by December 12 or face the dog being destroyed.
“He missed the opportunity to register his XL Bully during the relevant period,” the judge said, adding that failure to comply would result in enforcement action under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Gibbs-White was ordered to pay £284 in court costs.
The Forest playmaker, who lives in East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, with fiancée Britney De Villiers and their two young children, joins a growing list of owners caught out by the strict regulations.
The ban on XL Bullies followed a series of high-profile incidents in 2022 and 2023 that led to calls for tighter controls over dangerous breeds.
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Morgan Gibbs-White is in the England squad for tonight's match with Latvia
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It is estimated that around 55,000 XL Bullies are registered in the UK, with a further 20,000 believed to be owned illegally.
Between February and September last year, police in England and Wales seized and destroyed 848 unregistered dogs.
Several Premier League players are reported to have bought XL Bullies for security reasons amid an increase in home burglaries targeting footballers.
Gibbs-White, who recently signed a new £150,000-per-week contract with Forest after rejecting a move to Tottenham Hotspur, has vowed to resolve the matter and ensure Harlo’s compliance before the deadline.