10/08/2026
OFFICIAL ABRSA STATEMENT
Introduction of the ABRSA Exotic Division
ABRSA would like to officially announce the introduction of a dedicated Exotic Division within the registry.
The Micro, Nano, and Exotic community in South Africa has grown significantly, and we believe it is important for the registry to evolve alongside the development of these dogs. Moving forward, these dogs will be recognised and registered as Exotics and will compete within their own dedicated division.
The ABRSA Exotic Division will consist of the following classes:
Standard Exotic
Micro Exotic
Nano Exotic
Each of these classes will have its own official standard, including specific height requirements, structure, movement, overall type, and other conformation requirements. The complete standards and measurements for each class will be released separately.
ABRSA Shows and Championships
At ABRSA-sanctioned shows, the Exotic Division will be judged separately from the American Bully Division.
The American Bully Division will continue to consist of:
Pocket American Bully
Standard American Bully
XL American Bully
The Exotic Division will consist of:
Standard Exotic
Micro Exotic
Nano Exotic
This means that Exotics will compete against other Exotics within their respective classes and will be able to earn points, titles, and championship status within the ABRSA Exotic Division.
This will provide our Exotic breeders and exhibitors with their own competitive platform while ensuring that dogs are judged according to standards appropriate to their specific type.
Breeding Going Forward
During this transition, ABRSA will continue to allow breeding between Exotics and American Bullies, particularly Pocket American Bullies.
However, our long-term goal is to move towards clearly established and identifiable Exotic bloodlines. As the Exotic Division develops, we would like breeders to work towards producing Exotics from established Exotic lines rather than continuously relying on crosses between Exotics and traditional American Bullies.
This will take time, and we understand that the development of a recognised division cannot happen overnight. ABRSA will therefore work with breeders during this transition while providing clear standards and direction for the future.
The Future of ABRSA
Our aim is to create clear separation and recognition between the different types of dogs being produced and shown in South Africa.
Going forward, ABRSA will recognise a dedicated Exotic Division, alongside our established American Bully classes of Pocket, Standard, and XL.
The Exotic community in South Africa is growing rapidly, and we believe these dogs deserve their own recognised division, their own standards, their own show classes, and the opportunity to earn championships within those classes.
This is an exciting step forward for ABRSA and for the Exotic community in South Africa.
Further information regarding the official Standard Exotic, Micro Exotic, and Nano Exotic standards, including height requirements and judging criteria, will be released in due course.
ABRSA – American Bully Registry of South Africa
