It is illegal to own a dog prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. If you are found to be in possession of one of these dogs you could face a fine or even a prison sentence. The police may also seize your dog if they think it is a banned type. Similarly some animals such as wolf hybrids and venomous snakes will require a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

If you have any concerns that an animal you are thinking of buying could be a banned type, our advice is not to buy it and to report it to the relevant publisher’s customer services or helpline

The Dangerous Dogs Act bans ownership, breeding, sale and exchange and advertising for sale of four specified types of dogs. The dogs covered by the ban (under section 1 of the DDA) are:

• Pit Bull Terrier
  Japanese Tosa
  Dogo Argentino
  Fila Braziliero

The ban also extends to any crosses of the above dogs. Some advertisers may attempt to advertise the following descriptions of dogs within advertisement papers. It is the our experience that the following descriptions may apply to prohibited breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or animals requiring a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and it is an offence to advertise prohibited breeds. Banned types of dogs are sometimes advertised with the following names...

• American Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Am Staffs)
  Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier (ISBT)
  Irish Blue or Red Nose Staffordshire
  Red Nose Terrier
  American Bulldogs
  PBT
  Bandog
  Bandogge
  Tosa
  Wolf Hybrid
  Or any crosses of same

The following terms should arouse suspicion, or suggest a dog fighting and/or illegal possession...

• Blocky
  Leggy
  Long legged
  Game
  Gameness
  Game Bred
  Pit Proven
  Proven
  Red Nose

Whether a dog is a banned type depends on what the dog actually looks like, rather than the breed or name by which it is called. It is the characteristics of a dog which are most important in judging whether it is banned.

If a dog fits one of the descriptions, it may be treated as a banned type no matter what type or breed its parents were.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/65/contents