Schoolgirl, 5, seriously injured in Partington after being mauled by ‘XL Bully’ as woman, 34, arrested
A SCHOOLGIRL has been left with "life-changing" injuries after being mauled by a dog suspected to be an XL Bully.
The youngster, five, was rushed to hospital with horror injuries after the attack in Partington, Greater Manchester.
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Greater Manchester Police has now said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to "previous contact regarding the dog".
The force said: "At around 3.40pm on Sunday 14 April 2024, officers responded to reports of a dog attacking a five-year-old girl inside a property on Walnut Road, Partington.
"The girl suffered serious life-changing injuries which were not life-threatening, while the dog was seized."
XL Bully dogs were banned on February 1, with police warning the hounds could be destroyed and their owners thrown behind bars.
The breed has killed 11 people in three years -- including two children.
Bella-Rae Birch, one, was mauled to death in March 2022 at her home by the American Bully XL.
The schoolboy's mum sat down with the Prime Minister for an interview, exclusively shared by The Sun in February.
Emma Whitfield opened up about the tragic day her son died at his friend's house.
The mum, who has long campaigned for a ban on the killer hounds, said: "I didn't know what an XL Bully was until this happened, I didn't have a clue they existed until this happened.
"I didn't really think the outcome was going to be what it was when I was told he'd been attacked by a dog - I didn't realise that kind of thing happened.
"You don't think something like that's going to happen to you."
Fatal XL Bully attacks
Ian "Scouse" Langley, 54, was protecting his puppy when the animal pounced on him outside a home in Sunderland in October 2023.
Ian Price, 52, was viciously savaged in September 2023 by the beasts as he tried to protect his elderly mum from them after they escaped.
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed in May 2023 entered the dog's pen when it went for him, leaving bite wounds on his arm, leg and head.
Natasha Johnston, 28, was mauled to death while walking a pack of dogs in January 2023 was believed to have been killed by her own pet - an American Bully XL.
Shirley Patrick, 83, died 17 days after being mauled in a “hellish”, violent dog attack in December 2022.
Ian Symes, 34, who was known to friends as "Wiggy", died at a recreation ground in Fareham, , after the savage attack in August 2022.
Joanne Robinson, 43, was fatally mauled by pet Rocco at her home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in July 2022.
Keven Jones, 62, went into cardiac arrest after being bitten by Cookie-Doe at Chanel Fong's home in Wrexham, North Wales in May 2022.
Bella-Rae Birch, one, was mauled to death in March 2022 at her home by the American Bully XL.
, 10, was killed by a hulking XL Bully dog named Beast in November 2021 as he played at friend's home in Caerphilly.