Warning over UK’s ‘gentle giant’ dog breed after mum killed in own home

A mum was tragically mauled to death by her two pet dogs she bought expecting to be 'gentle giants'.

Instead the pair of XL Bullies launched a terrifying attack on their doting owner, prompting South Yorkshire Police to issue a serious warning.

Dog attacks have soared at such a rate that the number of incidents in the area has more than doubled in the last five years.

READ MORE: Bear that disemboweled Italian jogger could be spared death sentence

Currently, XL Bully dogs are not featured on the dangerous dog list. However, they have been the culprits of several fatal attacks in the UK in 2023.

As per Yorkshire Live, Assistant Chief Constable Dan Thorpe said: "XL Bully dogs account for 25% of all of the dogs seized by South Yorkshire Police since January 2022 and that number is rapidly increasing.

"Each year we see significant increases in dangerous dog-related incidents. In fact, the number of incidents has more than doubled in the last five years. In 2018, we saw 77 of these incidents and have already seen 180 in the first six months of this year."

"In the time it takes us to get there, any one of those incidents could easily result in serious injury or even death. We have already seen a fatality in South Yorkshire, which has devastated the victim's loved ones and the wider community.

"We can’t ignore the fact that the XL bully breed is disproportionately represented in the number of dog attacks we attend. Eighty (25%) of the dogs seized since January 2022, by South Yorkshire Police are XL bullies. Last year, 89 dogs had to be destroyed by police in the immediacy of the incident in order to protect public safety."

He particularly stressed that couples with kids should avoid purchasing the breed at all costs.

Thorpe added: "We have seen too many devastating injuries from these dogs, life-changing injuries to both adults and young children, so gruesome we are not able to share them with the public. Don’t let this happen to you or your child."

In 2022, Joanne Robinson was mauled to death by her fearsome Italian Mastiff dog.

After a night out, the 43-year-old mother arrived home and the animal became enraged. It attacked and killed its owner.

Dr Allan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner claimed: "Over the last few months I have become increasingly concerned about the number of reports of dog attacks causing significant injuries and sometimes even fatalities. This doesn’t seem to be just a problem in South Yorkshire but is happening all over the country."

He continued: "During the pandemic, the number of dogs nationally rose from 9 million to over 12 million, with many people buying dogs for the first time with no prior experience, a lack of socialisation and no access to dog training classes during that time.

"These lockdown puppies have now grown into mature dogs and we are seeing the consequences. There are certain breeds that should not be placed in homes with children due to their unpredictability and their predisposed nature to suddenly turn and become aggressive, this becomes more apparent as the dogs reach maturity.

"Some of the statistics are frightening – 2022 was the worst year nationally for deaths caused by dogs and there are several incidents a day involving dogs in South Yorkshire. The statistics are startling. I have written about my concerns to the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and they are in direct contact with ministers."

To get more stories from the Daily Star delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to one of our free newsletters here.

Source: Read Full Article