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‘LOADED GUNS’
Horrific fatal XL Bully mauling ‘exposes 3 chilling truths about ban & proves MORE lives will be lost to deadly attacks’
Watch former Met Police boss explain why harder measures may be the only option to save lives
CLASPING riot shields, armed police cautiously entered an East London home to seize two terrifying American Bully XLs that had killed their owner.
The tragic death of Angeline Mahal, in her 50s, from Hornchurch, was at least the 13th life claimed by the banned breed in the UK in the last three years.
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The mum-of-two, who had raised the dogs since they were puppies, was found dead in the hallway of her home by her sons after the “awful attack” on Monday.
An unnamed family member told the Daily Mail they would “always urge her to give up the dogs” - especially after grandmother Esther Martin, 68, in Jaywick, Essex, was mauled by two XL Bullies three months ago.
This marks the second fatal attack by an XL Bully since it became a criminal offence in England and Wales to own the banned breed without an exemption certificate, back in February.
It's led many to question whether existing legislation has gone far enough - including Simon Ovens, 57, the former Metropolitan Police Head of Policy for Dangerous Dogs.
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The ex-Chief Superintendent, who retired in June last year, tells The Sun there are “a number of flaws” in legislation that put people at risk.
He believes XL Bully dogs may need to be surrendered or euthanised due to the risk they pose, which he compares to a gun, and says they “shouldn’t be living among us”.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Simon tells us: “They are a dangerous, if not a fatal weapon.
“They can act in a very unpredictable way or in a way that they’ve been trained to do.
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“We don’t know what happened in this lady’s house but something triggered that dog to attack her. It may have been the most loving pet up until that point but dogs sadly, can be unpredictable.
“If you’re bitten by a small dog that’s survivable, you can do something about that, but when you’re attacked or bitten by one of these massive animals, well, we can see what’s happened and the consequences don’t bear thinking about.”
Sons of woman found her fighting for life after she was mauled by 2 XL bullies
Fatal flaws
Simon says there are “many flaws” in current legislation - the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 - and believes it needs urgent reform to save lives.
Among the issues he cites is that the XL Bully is “not a recognised breed” by The Kennel Club, meaning what constitutes the banned dog is up for debate.
Simon tells us: “There’s no breed standard so there has been great argument and controversy, usually played out in courtrooms, about whether the act applies to a dog.
“With a chihuahua, there are recognised standards for the breeds and its pedigree is registered so you know you’re dealing with a chihuahua - but that isn’t the case with the types prescribed by the Dangerous Dogs Act.
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“Experts will try to demonstrate through various measurements and photos of a dog that it complies with the type that breaches the act.
“It often boils down to measurements of the dog’s height shoulder and its weight and its capacity for biting things in terms of pounds per square inch on its jaw.
“At the same time, other experts will argue that doesn’t make it compliant because there is no breed standard. This means it's up for debate and experts have to prove the breach Section One of the act.”
Simon says the police foot the bill and “each case runs into many, many thousands of pounds” and often they “get wrapped in legal proceedings that go on and on”.
He explains the high fees are due to seized dogs needing to be held at kennels at a secret location from the date they are confiscated until the court case has conclude, which “costs an extraordinary amount”.
Additional money is needed to hire experts to assess the dogs, defence experts and legal costs of going to court. Another pull on the public purse string is if the dog’s owner needs legal aid.
Fatal XL Bully attacks
Woman in her 50s mauled to death at home by two XL Bully dogs in Hornchurch, East London on May 21, 2014.
Esther Martin, 68, was looking after her grandson in Jaywick, Essex, when dogs Bear and Beauty attacked her on February 3, 2024.
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.
Simon adds: “Each case, if the owner resists, runs into many, many thousands of pounds.
“But the main issue is still, as a society, do we want dogs on our streets that are capable of killing people? And the answer has to be no.”
'Non-compliance'
A second problem Simon lists is that XL Bully dogs can “still lawfully live among us in the community” and will continue to do so.
He says: “People that tend to want to have these types of dogs for nefarious reasons don’t comply with the acts anyway.
“Anybody who walks around certain parts of London and no doubt the other parts of the country will have seen a lot of large, powerful dogs.
A gun in someone’s hand is only a problem if they pull the trigger isn’t it? And sadly, these dogs are in the wrong hands or just something happens that triggers them.
Simon Ovens, former Met Chief Supt
“You might look at it and think, ‘Well, why on earth are they in the community? And surely they're prescribed by the Dangerous Dogs Act?’
“So it's not working in prescribing certain types or certain breeds.”
'Onus on public'
Simon also highlights Section 3, which references ‘dangerously out of control dogs’. He says this applies to all dogs “from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane and any dog between”.
However, he points out: “The problem is it puts the onus on an owner to make sure that their dog is not behaving dangerously in public and private places but does not include dwellings, such as an owner’s home.
"Section 3 is a useful part of the act for dealing with dogs that are out and about and dangerous but the first part of the act, Section One, is just completely useless in trying to bring dogs under control that may or may not breach the act.”
The exact number of XL Bullies in the UK is not known. But as of late February, more than 55,000 had been registered for an exemption certificate in England and Wales according to Government figures.
That same month The Guardian reported there could be as many as 15,000 that are not registered - despite owners facing a criminal record and an unlimited fine if caught.
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Social media clout
Simon believes social media has played a big part in raising the popularity of XL Bullies due to them being considered “a status symbol” because of their size and menacing features.
“Many owners buy large dogs, like an XL Bully, because they want to project an image of fear and to say, ‘If you want to take me on, take my dog on too’,” Simon tells us.
“This has led to a race between rivals to get bigger, scarier-looking dogs. Breeding these bulkier dogs increases the risk they pose.
“They are massive and incredibly powerful and could easily kill a human. They have so much power behind their bite that if they do attack, they don’t cause a minor injury or one that needs antibiotics, they cause death.
“A gun in someone’s hand is only a problem if they pull the trigger, isn’t it? And sadly, either these dogs are in the wrong hands or something happens that triggers them.”
Tough measures
Due to their size, XL Bully dogs have been used in crime, dog fighting and to threaten and intimidate people.
Simon adds: “Often XL Bully dogs are used to protect premises, they know if police officers raid they will need to have trained officers to deal with these dogs, which can buy them more time.”
We certainly need legislation to remove these dogs from our streets full stop and preclude the wrong types of people from owning these dogs for the wrong reasons
Simon
Fearing the continued risk to the public, Simon concludes that urgent action needs to be taken and that XL Bullies cannot remain in society.
He says: “We do need a legislative line drawn in the sand, these dogs need to be urgently removed from society before they do any more damage.
“Whether that’s taking them into kennels to live out the rest of their lives or if parliament says, ‘Sorry, we have to eradicate them’, it’s worthy of further debate and understanding.
“However, while the debate continues, someone could die today or tomorrow. Action must be quick.
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“I’m particularly worried about children, the smaller you are the more vulnerable you are when it comes to these dogs. We've seen many reports of them using kids like toys, like rag dolls.
“We certainly need legislation to remove these dogs from our streets full stop and preclude the wrong types of people from owning these dogs for the wrong reasons.”
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