The owner of an XL Bully feared her pet dog would kill her during a frenzied attack in her own home but has vowed she will always back the breed, and would even get another one
An XL Bully owner has spoken out in defence of her pet after it savaged her partner and bit her repeatedly on the hand and leg. Ashton Gillespie, 27, says she feared for her life after her seven-year-old dog, Tommy, attacked her and her partner, Ryan Lewis, in their own home. According to Ashton, she owes her life to Ryan, who saved her from the dog’s jaws despite his arm having been “ripped open”.
After being called to a property in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, on the evening of Thursday, April 3, officers shot the beast dead. However, in spite of her ordeal, Ashton hasn’t ruled out getting another XL Bully in the future, saying she would choose the same breed again if the current ban is ever lifted.
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Ashton is now recovering from the incident, having sustained a fractured hand and stitches in her leg, and has hit back at those who’ve blamed the breed. In an interview with Sunday Life, Ashton argued: “It’s not the breed. It’s also not down to ownership. That dog was treated like an absolute baby and had his own bedroom and everything he needed.
“He didn’t do it because he’s an XL bully, and I’m sick of people giving them a bad name. I thought he was going to kill me, but it’s not down to his breed. He just flipped.”
The Co. Down woman named her dog Tommy after Tommy Shelby in the hit gangster show Peaky Blinders, while her French bulldog is named John Boy after Johnny Shelby. Video footage of the nightmare incident has since been shared on social media, and Ashton has had to put up with a number of rumours swirling around, which she says are inaccurate.
Addressing one rumour that has been circulating, Ashton clarified that the dog had previously bitted a child, but claimed it had been provoked. She also denied reports that the boy needed to be airlifted, confirming that, although an air ambulance did arrive at the scene, it wasn’t required.
Ashton said: “Unfortunately, I was in Turkey at the time, and there were clear rules set in place that were not followed. Friends of mine were staying with me, and there was an incident. A teenager was trying to separate my two dogs, who don’t get along. He was beating Tommy on the head, and the dog defended himself.
“His mother has confirmed this on Facebook. Tommy was then escorted out of my home to a vet by the PSNI. That resulted in me coming home to an £800 vet bill and boarding kennel fees. I’m fed up with people making up rumours about this and saying he attacked a child in the street because that’s not what happened.”
Although she’s found plenty of support online, Ashton has also had to contend with being “slandered”, which she says has taken a severe toll. She continued: “I’ve barely been able to sleep and haven’t eaten due to the stress. I’m physically sick of getting trolled online. I back the breed 100 per cent and always will.”
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