Inside terrifying boom in UK’s most dangerous dog breed as breeders use pups as weapons & experts warn of deadly summer
IN the past 18 months the American Bully XL has fatally savaged eight people.
Now it's emerged the genetically modified breed, which shares DNA with banned American Pitbulls, is responsible for nearly a quarter of Britain’s dog deaths.
And an expert is warning this summer’s hot weather could bring more killings - while another says the number of criminal breeders is now “overwhelming”.
Dog trainer Rob Metcalfe, from One to One Training School, is receiving frantic calls every day from terrified owners.
Rob said: “I recently had a case where an owner was too frightened to be on her own in the house with her dog unless it was locked in the kitchen.
“I said I needed to return with specialist equipment but I haven’t heard from her since. It’s worrying. That dog could get out and bite someone.
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“The XL Bully grows to 70kg in next to no time. Many are purchased as a fashion accessory and some owners think they can watch a YouTube video and learn how to handle them.”
The breed has exploded in popularity since the American Bully breed was recognised by the United Kennel Club in July 2013.
XL refers to the dog’s size of which there are four - pocket, standard, classic and XL.
Their popularity is being fuelled by social media and the breed is increasingly being used by unscrupulous breeders and owners as weapons.
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The Sun on Sunday previously revealed Bully XLs — under macho names such as Unstoppable Juggernaut — are being sold without any apparent checks on Facebook, Gumtree and Instagram.
Many clip off their ears in a bid to make them look more fierce, while some breed them in squalor so they develop behavioural issues and don’t give them appropriate training.
The combination has led to ticking time bombs.
Last month dad-of-five Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed after being attacked by a XL Bully in Leigh, Greater Manchester.
Other victims include Bella Rae Birch, a 17-month-old little girl who was attacked at home in St Helens, Merseyside, by a dog which her family had owned for just a week.
And 10-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death by an eight-stone dog called Beast in November 2021 in Caerphilly, south Wales - with his heartbroken mum forced to identify his body by his shoe.
Another victim was Ann Dunn, 65, who died at her home in Vauxhall, Liverpool, of "catastrophic injuries" after trying to break up a fight between two dogs, before the American bulldog turned on her.
Since 2013 there have been 42 people killed by dogs across the UK. Ten of those cases involved an XL Bully.
One is three-year-old Rosie who, at just eight-months-old, killed two dogs.
Her owner was arrested and charged and she was put in police kennels for two years. She is now at the All Bullie Charity Rescue.
Manager Kerryanne Shaw, 37, from Glasgow, said: “Rosie was being used by her owner as a weapon. He took pleasure in seeing her attack other animals.”
The owner was sentenced on different matters but the dog charge was never pursued.
Kerryanne said: “Rosie was assessed by the police behaviourist and found to pose no risk to humans at all.
“She will be homed but she will have to wear a muzzle out in public because of her previous history with other animals.”
The Hope Rescue Centre in Llanharan, near Cardiff, are seeing many who will never be fit for rehoming.
Founder Vanessa Waddon, said: “We’ve had to make some tough decisions. The sheer scale of unlicensed and illegal breeders is overwhelming.”
We’ve had to make some tough decisions. The sheer scale of unlicensed and illegal breeders is overwhelming
Vanessa Waddon, founder of The Hope Rescue Centre
Jane Robinson, the chair of Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK, has warned that this summer there could be more incidents.
She said: “If a dog is hot, thirsty and not coping in a new and unknown environment, their stress levels will increase, their tolerance will decrease and they will be more likely to get angry and react.”
Phillip Symes, 64, who lost his son Ian in an attack last year, said: “XLs are bred to kill — they shouldn’t be allowed.”
But many experts don’t believe the breed should be banned and are calling for a clampdown on unlicensed and illegal breeders and unqualified trainers.
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Jane said: “Banning a breed runs the risk of forcing unregulated breeders underground.
"They’ll then breed something else and give it a different name.”
BANNED DOG BREEDS
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro