A nine-month-old baby was mailed by an XL Bully last month following a string of horrific attacks across the the country by the dogs
Between 2001 and 2021 there were an average of three fatal dog attacks a year, compared with 23 over the following two-year period.
Possession of the animals without a certificate of exemption was banned last February and has resulted in more than 55,000 being placed on a government database. The number of attacks by XL Bullies is expected to decrease over the next decade in correlation with a decline in ownership of the dogs. XL Bullies have been blamed for at least 17 fatal attacks since 2020.
On Monday, the owner of a ferocious XL Bully that chased a man 100 metres before killing him was jailed for three years. Chris Bell’s pet Titan felled Ian Langley, 54, and locked his neck in its jaws. The dog bit through a jugular vein, causing unsurvivable injuries, a court heard. Bell went home to dial 999 after the attack in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in October 2023.
In December last year a nine-month-old baby was mauled by an XL Bully. Arabella was airlifted for treatment after being savaged by the dog, which was euthanised following the attack. The infant, from Hawkinge, Kent, was placed in an induced coma but did not need surgery and her family say she has now been discharged.
Her grandfather said: “Arabella is doing really well, as is her mum.” An 18-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman were arrested and bailed on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. In September 2023 Ian Price, 52, died after being attacked by two American XL Bullys in Stonnall, Staffs. In November 2021, Jack Lis, 10, was killed by an American XL Bully at a pal’s house in Caerphilly, South Wales.
Last June, his mum Emma Whitfield urged MPs to back the Mirror’s bid for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act. Retired nurse Shirley Patrick, 83, died 17 days after a dog attack in Caerphilly, South Wales, last December.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said: “A big thank you to everyone who registered their dogs. I don’t think anybody could have anticipated the numbers.” He added: “Undoubtedly the ban and our response to it has driven down the number of dog attacks and we are pleased that the public continues to support us by reporting suspected XL Bully dogs in their local area.”
The XL Bully ban will cost the police an estimated £25million in vet and kennels costs alone in the year following the ban. The figure is up 500% from the £4million it cost police in 2018. It was a “a huge burden on policing” and forces are in discussions about being given extra funding. Police are also calling for new legislation to allow less serious cases to be dealt with outside of court.
Mr Horbrough said: “The demand has been and continues to be simply huge. We are facing a number of challenges in kennel capacity, resourcing and ever-mounting costs and as of today, we have not received any additional funding to account for this.”
