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SIR JOHN HAYES: The American Bully XL Is A Monstrous Killer That MUST Be Banned - We Must Outlaw This Breed Before More Innocent People Are Killed
The American Bully XL is a monstrous killer that MUST be banned...The government must act now to outlaw the breed before more innocent people are killed
Britain is a nation of dog lovers. Millions give care and gain comfort from canine companions.
Nevertheless, recognising that not all dogs are harmless, laws have been in place for 1000 years to protect people and other animals from dangerous dogs.
The earliest edict aimed at tackling the risks that dogs may pose dates all the way back to Alfred the Great – a ruling made that ''if a dog tear or bite a man, for the first misdeed let six shillings be paid'.
Victorian legislation, most notably the 1839 Metropolitan Police Act and the 1871 Dogs Act, handed authorities for the first time powers to fine owners who failed to control an 'unmuzzled ferocious dog', and, later, allowed the police to seize such violent creatures in the public interest.
Sir John Hayes (pictured above) is calling for the Government to pass new legislation to ban the breeding and sale of the American Bully XL
Some celebrities see these breeds as status symbols, thus simultaneously legitimising cruelty and making the fighting dogs more popular
So far this year, there have been at least two fatal Bully dog attacks – and there are fears that the breed may be responsible for three other dog killings
In more recent times, the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act was passed in the wake of a savage Pit Bull Terrier attack on six-year-old Rucksana Khan in Bradford. This followed similar incidents, leading to a Government promise to 'to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs'.
The 1991 law, though a huge step in the right direction, bans the owning, breeding and selling of just four breeds – the aforementioned Pit Bull Terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino, and the Fila Brasilerio. Critics of that legislation say it doesn't do enough to deal with the owners who are often culpable, by negligence, for dog attacks, whilst others rightly question whether enough dangerous breeds are included on the prohibited list.
Tragically, the subject of dangerous dogs is salient again. The UK saw 10 dog attacks last year – of which seven were believed to be from the American Bully XL breed.
Last year 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch was killed by an American Bully XL, as was ten year old Jack Lis, in late 2021. In just the last few weeks, a 37 year old man was killed by such a dog in Greater Manchester.
So far this year, there have been at least two fatal Bully dog attacks – and there are fears that the breed may be responsible for three other dog killings.
Closely related to the banned Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bully XL can weigh up to 9 and a half stone.
The Bully is bred for fighting, and so poses a particular safety risk. Indeed, some experts -including those who advised on the Dangerous Dogs Act- have warned that breeders are making the Bully XL's bigger and more muscular. Make no mistake these dogs are bred to fight and kill.
The cruelty knows no bounds as, in turn, selective breeding may make them more fierce by instinct, as the dogs are in pain resulting from the way they are spawned.
One expert warned that amateur breeders are 'tinkering with DNA…trying to create monsters and they've managed it.'
There were reports that over 1,700 children were treated in hospital after being bitten by dogs last year
Some senseless so-called 'celebrities' see these breeds as status symbols, thus simultaneously legitimising cruelty and making the fighting Bully dogs more popular.
Empty minds on empty minded social media have amplified this dreadful trend.
As the Daily Mail recently reported - deaths cause by dog attacks have more than doubled in the past two years; from four in 2021 to a record ten in 2022.
Experts are clear that the Bullies are to blame.
This is on top of recent reports that over 1,700 children were treated in hospital after being bitten by dogs last year – startlingly, that's four children every day!
What's worse, we don't even know how many of these dangerous dogs there are in our country.
It is time for the 1991 law to be updated to reflect this new threat to public safety.
I am calling for the Government to pass new legislation to ban the breeding and sale of these dangerous dogs.
It is also time to look at updating Public Spaces Protection Orders - previously called Dog Control Orders –for the specific purpose of protecting the innocent from such vicious animals.
Certainly, owners must take greater responsibility for their animals.
It is said that a dog is a 'man's best friend', and so many bring so much joy - pets which are a loved part of families. Contrast this with the brutal culture of raising vicious dogs which are 'man's worst enemy'.
Maulings at the hands of ferocious dogs should be consigned to our past.
Banning the American Bully XL is just plain common sense.
Ministers must act before more innocent lives are lost to savagery.
How Ruthless Breeders Have Developed A Terrifying Ten Stone XXL Bully Devil Dog Which Experts Say WILL Kill
IT is the canine status symbol loved by celebrities including Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Geordie Shore's Aaron Chalmers and rapper Drake.
But the American bully dog has a darker side — and is thought to be behind seven of the ten fatal attacks on people in Britain last year.
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A 10st monster XXL version of the American bully dog is being openly advertised on TikTok and elsewhere onlineCredit: Alamy
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It comes as calls mount for the larger so-called XL type of the breed to be bannedCredit: AlamyAnd as calls mount for the larger so-called XL type of the breed to be banned, The Sun can today reveal that rogue breeders are using the biggest, most muscular dogs to create a 10st monster version of the animal — dubbed the XXL — and are selling them online.
A Sun investigation found "XXL" dogs openly advertised on TikTok by UK sellers for more than £2,000 and the breed is sold on sites including Facebook, Gumtree and Instagram with no apparent checks.
Social media is full of videos with hashtags such as #protectiondog, #dogbite and #bullylair showing owners walking their dogs.
But experts say the Frankenstein XXL dogs are even more likely to attack than XLs because the exaggerated features of their breeding leave them in pain.
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Dog behaviourist Stan Rawlinson, who advised the Government on legislating dangerous dogs, said: "These breeders are messing about with the DNA of this dog and turning it into a freak.
"There's no such thing as an XXL as a breed — it's people creating the biggest animals they can to make as much money as possible.
"It's a status dog. Irresponsible owners want these huge dogs so they can walk down the street looking hard. They train them to strike, and this type of dog goes for the throat.
Incredible damage"Genetically, this is a very, very reactive and aggressive dog. They can cause incredible damage to adults. There's no reason to own a dog with this much power."
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The main two crosses for XLs are American bulldogs and pitbulls. The latter is banned in Britain under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
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Dog behaviourist Stan Rawlinson said that breeders are messing around with the dog's DNA and turning it into 'a freak'Credit: SuppliedStan said: "I've never refused to work with any animal in 50-plus years but I won't go near this one. That's how dangerous it is."
Mum Emma Whitfield had to identify her ten-year-old son Jack Lis by his shoe after he was mauled to death by an XL bully in a 2021 attack in Caerphilly, South Wales.
The owner of the 8st animal, called Beast, Brandon Hayden, then 19, was given four-and-a-half years at a young offenders' institution after admitting being in charge of the out-of-control dog.
Jack's mum Emma, 32, is campaigning for new laws on dog training, breeding and sales.
She is backed by Caerphilly's Labour MP Wayne David, who last night voiced concern over the XXL bully.
He said: "It makes it all the more important that new laws and regulations are introduced as quickly as humanly possible, and that the regulations which are in place are enforced."
XLs are not recognised by the main UK kennel clubs, which keep breed statistics, so there is no record of how many are in Britain.
London's Met Police this week revealed it has seized 44 American bullies so far this year.
On Thursday an inquest into the death of dad-of-five Jonathan Hogg, 37, heard how he was mauled when a friend's XL turned on him while he looked after it.
Jonathan, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, was rushed to hospital but suffered fatal arm, leg and head wounds.
A man and woman were arrested and bailed.
Police also raided two houses and seized 15 dogs — six fully grown and nine pups, also believed to be XL bullies.
Dog trainer Rob Metcalf, from One To One Training School in Edwinstowe, Notts, said: "The XL American bully is the new designer dog and some owners just want them to walk about looking tough.
"These are very strong, dominant dogs and need to be trained properly, but people are watching how-to guides on YouTube.
"I don't blame the dogs, I blame idiot owners."
Vanessa Waddon, of the Hope Rescue Centre in Llanharan, near Cardiff, said XXL bullies are more likely to attack because breeding exaggerated features leaves them in pain.
She said: "These people are breeding for wealth, not health.
"Oversized dogs can have poor spines, knee pain and may have to drag their legs behind them, as their bodies can't take the weight.
"Pain makes a dog more likely to lash out, just like humans, yet a section of the bully community are competing with each other to get the dog with the most exaggerated features. It's like a subculture.
"It means responsible owners are seeing their dogs demonised."
Vanessa also blamed illegal breeders for the latest attacks, and said: "The dogs are being set up to fail from the moment they are born.
"They are being kept in outside cages, passed around illegal breeders and aren't socialised in family environments.
"Any dog is capable of biting in the hands of this type of breeder and owner."
Sean Main, who organises American bully shows across the UK, defended the breed, saying: "The Bully was bred to be a companion dog. This is 100 per cent about bad owners and not the dogs.
"When the dogs get sold at ten weeks old they are running about, wagging their tails, all happy.
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"Put into the wrong hands they can attack but the outcome is the same for any dog, whatever breed.
"Only a small fraction of American bullies that end up in the wrong hands are nightmare dogs."
GROWING TOLL OF VICTIMS
THE UK death toll from dog attacks is on the rise, with ten last year.
Just half a mile from where ten-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death in Caerphilly in 2021, retired nurse Shirley Patrick, 83, died in an attack by an XL bully cross-breed in December 2022.
Toddler Bella-Rae Birch, 17 months, was killed by a bully at her home in St Helens, Merseyside, in March last year.
And dog walker Natasha Johnstone, 22, died from multiple bites to the neck while exercising eight dogs in Caterham, Surrey, in January this year.
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Natasha Johnston died from multiple bites to the neck exercising eight dogs this yearCredit: Tim StewartCall For Immediate Ban On American Bully XL Dogs That Can Kill In 60 Seconds
More people will be killed unless American Bully XL dogs are banned in the UK, according to experts. The number of deaths from dog attacks in the UK went from 4 in 2021 to 10 in 2022 - most involving the breed. There has also been an 88% increase in hospital attendance with dog-related injuries.
There have been at least two more fatal attacks involving American Bullies this year.
Stan Rawlinson, a dog behaviourist who was an expert witness for the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, told MailOnline : "We averaged three dog attack deaths a year for the past 25 years... We had 10 last year with up to seven related to the XL Bully. This is only going to get worse.
"They could kill you in about a minute and the worst thing is no one knows how many there are in the UK. There are at least thousands but we just don't know for sure.
He said: "It's going to get considerably worse," and added: "I wouldn't go near one. I've been around all sorts of dogs, even the most dangerous. But these XL Bully dogs are very reactive."
He said: "More people are going to die unless we do something about it.
The term American Bully XL typically refers to a specific type or variation of the American Bully breed. The American Bully is a relatively new breed that was developed in the United States and recognized by various canine registries and kennel clubs. The American Bully is often confused with the American Pit Bull Terrier, but they are distinct breeds with different characteristics.
The American Bully XL is a larger and more muscular variant within the American Bully breed. The "XL" in its name stands for extra-large, indicating that these dogs are bred for a larger size compared to other American Bully types. XL Bullies have a heavily muscled build, broad chest, and a strong, powerful appearance. They often have a wide and blocky head with a strong jawline.
Elisa Allen, from PETA, told the Mail: "Most serious and fatal dog attacks are by bully breeds." She said the dogs are 'prey-focused and hard to distract once in attack mode' and 'have extremely muscular, powerful bodies with strong jaws'.
She is calling for all American Bullies in the UK to be spayed or neutered, to end the bloodline.
Dr Lawrence Newport, a law lecturer who recently published a report on the Bully XL, told MailOnline: "These dogs were historically bred for fighting so we should not be surprised that even good owners have found themselves, or their children, maimed or even killed by these dogs."
He said the dogs should be immediately banned.
Vet Marc Abraham added: "These dogs are a nightmare when they are in the wrong hands, and the trouble is, very few people have the right hands."
He added: "They are trained to be killers.'
There has been an 88 per cent increase in hospital attendances with dog injuries, from 4,699 in 2007 to 8,819 in 2021-22.
The mother of a 10-year-old boy who died after being mauled by a dog has called for a change in the law, saying "enough is enough".
Emma Whitfield, 32, is calling for "Jack Lis Law", named after her son who died in November 2021 in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, near Caerphilly, South Wales, after the attack by an XL Bully – a breed developed from the American pit bull terrier.
She told the Daily Mirror, which is backing the campaign for a change in the law: "I still have terrible flashbacks. I still see the animal and its teeth. I hear the barking.
"You relive it multiple times a day – it's torture.
Flowers left outside the house in Pentwyn, Penyrheol, near Caerphilly where Jack Lis was killed by a dog (Bronwen Weatherby/PA)
"I still find it unbelievable. Sat on the sofa or on the way home, it hits you all over again."
The dog's owner Brandon Hayden, then 19, was sentenced in June 2022 to just over four years at a young offenders' institution and Amy Salter, then 29, was jailed for three years after they pleaded guilty to being in charge of the out of control dog, which was named Beast.
A further 15 people have lost their lives in dog attacks in the 18 months since Jack's death, including an 83-year-old woman in Caerphilly, while there were nearly 22,000 cases of injuries from out of control dogs in 2022.
Jack's mother said: "Enough is enough. This has to stop.
It's out of control and there are people losing their kids because of this. I want to stop this happening
Emma Whitfield
"It's mind-blowing how it keeps happening. It should never have happened to Jack but why has nobody learned from this?
"Innocent people are dying. The Government needs to act now. It's out of control and there are people losing their kids because of this. I want to stop this happening."
She said certain types of dogs have become "status symbols" and said not all breeders or owners need policing under new legislation.
"To me it is not different than having a lethal weapon," she said.
"My problem is with backyard breeders who don't care where the dogs go. There is no reason why a dog needs to sell for £10,000 to go into a family home."
CCTV still dated 4/11/2021 of the dog Beast outside the village shop Top Stores on Heol Aneurin, Caerphilly, after it ran at a boy who dropped his scooter (Gwent Police/PA)
She also called for tougher sentences with Salter possibly being released from prison before the end of the year.
"She only missed one Christmas when we have lost a lifetime of them," Ms Whitfield said.
The campaign for the "Jack Lis Law" is backed by the Mirror, the Dog Control Coalition – which includes the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home – and Caerphilly's Labour MP Wayne David.
They are calling for a different approach to dog legislation which includes all dogs and focuses on breeding, training and the sale of dogs.
Calling the problem an epidemic, Mr David said: "We have to ask who is next?
"There can be no doubt that radical reform is needed to dog law. This will only happen when everyone who is concerned pulls together.
"I'm quoting the police when I say there is more money in selling dogs for some criminals than selling drugs. I'm determined to see this issue addressed by the Government as soon as humanly possible."
He has previously called for the reintroduction of dog licences.
RSPCA head of companion animals Dr Samantha Gaines said: "The Dangerous Dogs Act has failed to protect the public from the risk of bites, we want a new approach.
"It is also essential measures are available to deter and punish owners of dogs whose behaviour is dangerous."
The XL Bully is not recognised as an official breed by the UK's Kennel Club.
Downing Street said a working group involving the police, councils and animal welfare experts is looking at ways to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership.
"There have been some horrific cases and our thoughts and sympathies are with those that have been affected," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.
"We know dog attacks can lead to tragic consequences and that's why we have a number of measures in place to protect people."
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