XL Bully ban updates — Rishi Sunak confirms breed WILL be removed from UK as dangerous dogs kill man in Staffordshire

Fatal dog attacks in 2023

Five people have died in dog attacks this year:

• Natasha Johnston, 28 - killed by a pack of dogs in Surrey in January
• Alice Stones, 4 -  attacked in her back garden in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in February
• Wayne Stevens, 51 - mauled by an "out-of-control" dog in Derby in April
• Jonathan Hogg, 37 - savaged to death by an American XL Bully in Leigh in May
• Woman in her 70s - mauled to death as she sunbathed in her Warwickshire garden

I saw my terrified puppy getting mauled to death by a frenzied 9st XL Bully in a park 

A DOG owner yesterday told how his terrified puppy was killed in front of him by a frenzied nine stone XL Bully.

Devastated James Gibson, 28, said heavily pregnant fiancée Daniela Mokiatos, 32, was left traumatised by the sudden attack.

DANGER DOGS

I saw my puppy getting killed by a 9st XL Bully in a park - it was horrific

Humza Yousaf explores XL Bully ban

The First Minister of Scotland wants to understand the weeds of the UK ban before he decides whether or not Scotland will follow suit.

Yousaf confirmed he had asked his officials “to liaise with the UK Government to understand a little bit more about the proposals in relation to the ban”.

Speaking on a visit to a nursery in Rutherglen, the First Minister said: “We have not made a firm decision yet.”

Dangerous Dogs Act explained

After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog’s breed or looks instead of an individual dog’s behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.

According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.

Mum of boy killed by XL Bully left in tears after ban announcement

Jack Lis’ mum has spoken out following Rishi Sunak’s announcement on banning the XL Bully breed on Saturday.

 was killed by a hulking XL Bully dog named Beast as he played at friend’s home in Caerphilly.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, she wrote: “I’m sobbing. I’m sat on my own sobbing. I don’t even have words right now.”

What does the law say?

In the UK it is illegal to own certain types of dogs as they could suppose safety risk.

But dog owners should be aware as there are other things that could mean they are infringing the law.

It is also against the law to:

• Sell a banned dog
• Abandon a banned dog
• Give away a banned dog
• Breed from a banned dog

Britain’s hotspots for dog attacks revealed

Figures released by the NHS  have shown the horrifying number of victims mauled by XL bully dogs and other breeds.

Results found the top 20 areas of the UK where hospitals perform the most operations to save the victim’s lives. 

• Kent and Medway – 250
• Black County – 180
• Coventry and Warwickshire – 170
• Devon – 165
• Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West – 160
• Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire – 160
• Cheshire and Merseyside – 160
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight – 160
• South East London – 150
• Norfold and Waveney – 150
• West Yorkshire – 150
• North East and North Cumbria – 145
• Derby and Derbyshire – 145
• North West London – 145
• South West London – 145
• Sussex – 140
• South Yorkshire – 135
• West Yorkshire – 130
• Hertfordshire and West Essex – 120
• Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes  – 10

Horror moment boy is mauled by out of control dog

This is the shocking moment a 10-year-old boy was mauled by an out-of-control dog in a horror attack as he played outside his home.

The youngster was kicking around a football in his family’s front drive in Walsall on Wednesday when the beast came out of nowhere and leapt on him.

The boy needed hospital treatment – with pics shared by his family showing blood-soaked bandages and deep bites along his arms.

It is the latest in a series of attacks by dogs which has highlighted the fears over XL dogs, with the Government moving to ban the breed.

How many XL Bully dogs are there in the UK?

As the brutes are not recognised as a breed by the Royal Kennel Club, there is little data on how many there are.

However, it is believed that numbers are believed to be in the thousands.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it is clear this is not about a “handful of badly trained dogs but is a pattern of behaviour”.

Teens as young as 14 are crossbreeding dangerous XL Bullys with terrifying Gator Mouths

Children as young as 14 are breeding Britain’s dangerous XL Bullys – as thugs create terrifying new “Frankendogs”.

Teenagers are cashing in on the devil dogs which could soon be banned in Britain.

The Sun found XLs are being mixed with banned pitbulls, including one called a Gator Mouth that has a broader jaw and razor-sharp teeth that can tear apart flesh.

Our probe also reveals that breeders are offering cut-price, buy-now-pay-later deals on Bullys — which one expert claims are 270 TIMES more dangerous than other dogs.

Gail Jones, whose 83-year-old mum Shirley Patrick died after being mauled by an XL in December last year, said: “These animals are vicious and need to be banned now.

“It’s like walking down the street with a bear or a tiger.”

What happens if I own an XL Bully dog?

Those who own the breed will likely have to abide by new restrictions amid a spate of attacks on the public.

On Saturday, The Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed an “amnesty” approach is being discussed, whereby owners will need to register and insure their pets.

The killer dogs will also be required to be neutered and muzzled and on a lead when out in public.

Campaign group Bully Watch UK has documented 351 attacks by the dogs this year alone.

‘Ban on XL Bullies WON’T stop attacks’

Britain’s leading dog bite expert says a ban on XL Bully dogs WON’T stop attacks – with five other breeds behind most maulings.

James McNally, aka ‘The  Solicitor’, said problems with dangerous dogs in Britain go “much deeper” than a single breed.

His firm deals with around 400 dog bite-related claims at a time but none of them currently concern XL Bully dogs.

American bullys have been responsible for 73 per cent of dog-related deaths in the UK since 2022 but make up a tiny percentage of the total canine population.

He explained: “For the last 30 years lawmakers have been struggling to enforce poorly thought-through legislation.

“The last thing we need is more of the same. Banning XL Bullies isn’t going to stop dog attacks.

“If they are banned, they aren’t just going to disappear overnight, and I suspect all that will happen is a new type of dog will be bred which gets round the ban.”

What is the American Pit Bull Terrier?

The American Pit Bull Terrier was originally bred in England for fighting in sports such as bear baiting during the early 19th-century England, with these often taking place in a “pit.”

When those sports were deemed inhumane and became illegal in 1835, dog-fighting sprung up in its place — and thus was the trait for dog aggression bred into the genetic line.

According to the United Kennel Club (UKC), the essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life.

It is a medium-sized, intelligent, short-haired dog, of a solid build.

Which dogs are currently banned in the UK?

People tend to think of large, vicious dogs when they imagine being bit by one.

But the truth is that many types of dogs are known to bite humans, whether provoked or not.

However, it’s important to remember that just because a breed tends to bite humans, that doesn’t mean that they all do.

British law determines four breed of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell or give away.

These are a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.

How many XL Bully attacks have there been?

Campaign group Bully Watch UK has documented 351 attacks by the dogs this year alone.

They say 43 per cent of all maulings are caused by large bully and there has been a 435 per cent surge in dog attacks overall since 2013.

They also recorded 14 deaths in attacks by the animals in 2021 – 11 confirmed and another three suspected.

Ban on XL Bullies ‘long overdue’

Doug Smith, who runs the group, told The Sun a ban on the breed was long-overdue – but he was sceptical over whether it would be effectively enforced.

He said: “We welcome talk of a ban but the truth is it has to be done quickly – we’re counting down until someone else is killed.

“Each day that goes by, we’re seeing more attacks and we’ve already had far too many.

“The Birmingham attack caught on video was very powerful but many more like that are happening all the time.

“The havoc these dogs can cause is unbelievable and sometimes it will take as many as five or eight men to contain them because of these dogs’ muscularity and power..

He said too many “irresponsible” owners were buying the breed, mistakenly seeing them as “very loyal” and “people-centric”.

He added: “The damage they cause is so much more significant than other kinds of dogs.

“These dogs are bad news and the government needs to get its act together, not just to ban them but also to actually enforce that rather than just applying a sticking plaster.

“Even a delay of a few months could be disastrous.”

Horrific moment boy is mauled by out of control dog

This is the shocking moment a 10-year-old boy was mauled by an out-of-control dog in a horror attack as he played outside his home.

The youngster was kicking around a football in his family’s front drive in Walsall on Wednesday when the beast came out of nowhere and leapt on him.

The boy needed hospital treatment – with pics shared by his family showing blood-soaked bandages and deep bites along his arms.

It is the latest in a series of attacks by dogs which has highlighted the fears over XL dogs, with the Government moving to ban the breed.

UK's chief veterinary officer says there will not be a cull on XL Bullies

The UK’s chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “So people that already have these dogs – and some of them will be well socialised, well managed, well trained – you will need to register and take certain actions.

“Your dog will need to be neutered. It will need to be muzzled when out in public and on a lead and insured.

“But if you comply with these actions, and that means we’ll know where these dogs are, which will be a massive benefit, then, yes, absolutely you will be able to keep your dog.”

'The public has to do something'

A dangerous dogs assessor and former Metropolitan police dog handler has said that while he believes any laws or bans are unlikely to have any short-term impact, "the public has to do something."

Jeffrey Turner said: “There could be so many dogs pulled in on this. I sympathise with people who have been bitten and those who have lost family.

"I can understand the public outcry, so the public has to do something. I hope they will establish best practices to get things done.”

Blood-curdling screams heard as two XL Bully dogs mauled man to death – as neighbours battered beasts with bins

Blood-curdling screams were heard as two "XL Bully" dogs mauled a man to death as he tried to protect his elderly mum.

Neighbours battered the beasts with bins as they attempted to save Ian Price in Stonall, Staffordshire, yesterday afternoon.

BULLY HELL

Screams heard as two XL Bully dogs mauled man as neighbours tried to save him

'This is a kneejerk reaction'

An expert witness on dangerous dogs and former Warwickshire police dog legislation officer has called the government's response to XL Bully attacks "a Kneejerk reaction".

Michale Barnett said: “The resources are simply not there and at the moment the system wouldn’t cope with it.

“This is a kneejerk reaction and they would be better looking at responsible ownership, responsible breeding and an in-depth look at licensing.”

'I don't think targeting one breed is the right approach'

An expert has said that targeting XL Bully's is not "the right approach."

Director of Animal Behaviour Kent, Daniel Shaw, said: “There are likely to be lots of disputes in the courts.

"I don’t think targeting one breed is the right approach.

"We’ve had the Dangerous Dogs Act since 1991, which prohibited certain breeds, and dog bites have risen in the last 20 years.”

I bred XL Bully Kimbo who half UK’s animals can be traced to – they only become killers when people give them steroids

The breeder of the deadly American XL Bully that half of the UK animals can be traced back to has claimed many of the dogs are on steroids.

Gustavo Castro said his dog Kimbo was a “gentle giant” and he has had no aggression problems with the beast’s own offspring.

XL BLAST

I had XL Bully who's ancestor to half in UK - this is the REAL reason they kill

‘I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to other people’

Gohar Siddique, the father of a boy that was mauled by a dog, shared a clip to warn people about dangerous dogs.

Gohar told : “I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to other people.

“This should not be happening to young children.

“If my two-year-old son was outside he would not be alive. My older son was brave.

“When you see the video you feel terrible.”