Woman 19 dies in dog attack

I love dogs, but I was walking in Colchester and came across an XL Bully for the first time. To give the owner his due, the dog was on a lead and was muzzled but it was the first time I've ever been scared of a dog. I was inadvertently following the dog/owner up to a car park and I literally hid in a shop until the dog had gone up in the lift - there was NO WAY i was getting in an enclosed space with it.

The animal was calm and under control but so big. He absolutely weighed more than me, its head was the same size as mine - I wouldn't stand a chance.

There's no way these owners are buying xl bullys because "they make great pets" - its a status symbol

Whilst i agree these XL dogs should all be culled, it will not stop the criminal fraternity using dogs as a weapon or back street breeders...

If we want to get to the root cause, we need licensing, enforcement, training and insurance.. the licence needs to be v expensive, certainly more than £200 and failure to have a licence leading to a criminal conviction & loss of the dog... which would put it all on par with owning a shotgun.

The licence fee would pay for enforcement, without which, all the laws in the world are pointless.

Pity we can’t do the same with the owners.

The woman in Limerick whose XL bully killed her had a TikTok video from a few days prior to the event, of her dancing with her 'big softy'.

🤦‍♀️ Until he isn't! Educate yourself.

I used to be an 'it's not the dog, it's the owner and with sufficient socialisation and training there's no such thing as a bad dog.' Until I actuallly MET an XL Bully and looked it in the eye. I have no question, that dog could have killed me without thinking about it. Usually when you look at a dog it will react, either confrontationally or submissively. This bully did not react at all, almost as though it didn't recognise me as a living thing.

I'm really sorry for all those who own them and adore them, but they can switch from cuddly to killer without any cause or warning.

This is a perfect example of why these dogs are such a problem. Absolute denial of the dangerous killer in their midst.

And you said this:

He's a much loved, well behaved family pet and very affectionate dog who tends to drool on you a lot.

They all say these vile dogs are lovely, well behaved, much loved family pets. Until theyre not.

Aggression is bred into them. It's their whole purpose.

A lion might be friendly but it might also rip your face off.

He's a much loved, well behaved family pet and very affectionate dog

Yeah, that's often what the news reports report people as saying after a dog has killed a child.

No, you were going with the "owner not the breed " bollocks .
Great that he's muzzled outside the house. Not so great for your friend if she gets her face ripped off in her own home .
Let's just hope it's only the owners that get hurt

Cool story, they all like to drool and show affection until the time that they don't. That is when the problems start.

It's not much different to gu ownership, they aren't a problem until they are fired

I just posted on this two days ago - this makes it the third attack in as many days this week

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/boy-12-left-seriously-injured-31076176?int_source=nba

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjry83gjlqno

With this one, doesn't say whether this was an XL Bully
www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/child-taken-hospital-serious-condition-31074704?int_source=nba

My worry about allowing the breed to die out naturally through lack of breeding is that I suspect a number of XL’s haven’t been registered and could be used to cross breed with, say, a dog with guarding traits. It could take lots of litters to get a dog that doesn’t have the physical characteristics of an XL but might have the aggressive trait/genetics c/o Killer Kimbo genes.
There will always be dickheads who want a ‘hard’ dog.

Oh for god sake all I said was that he was a well behaved trained dog! His owner is a police dog trainer and very experienced! He's muzzled when he goes out and never off his leash.
I didn't say he didn't have the potential to turn, all dogs do and yes their sheer size and power make it impossible to do anything if they do.
Years ago it was the rotty, then the staffy, now it's the XL bully, and in a few years time it'll be another breed.

Agree

It isn't fair on the dogs either. These animals are not and never will be suitable pets. I'm sure the 'it's the owner, not the dog' brigade will be along shortly.

Well we don't even need to click to see it wasn't a Golden Retriever in Harrogate do we?
It might be the same type of dogs but more often its the same type of owner.
Whatever happened though its no way to die, the poor woman must have been terrified and my thoughts are with her family

Im a childminder. I had XL bully owners concerned about the lack of childlock on my under sink cupboard- which I keep Tupperware and tea towels in no cleaning products. Yet they were talking about how brilliant their dog is with their kids. Their priorities astounded me to be honest. They spoke about the dog more than the child. Seemed to be part of their identity. I think I'm glad they won't be using me due to the child locks I'd hate to knowingly send a child home to such a dangerous pet every day

Horrible, nasty, killing machine devil dogs.

Every single one of them need to be culled. Always the same old drivel.. ahhh it’s not the dog, it’s the owner, mine would kill you by licking you to death, they are a nanny breed, mine puts the kids to bed, wouldn’t hurt a fly.. absolute imbeciles.

bullshit. Its the breed not the owner or training.

Many many people have been injured or died (or had their children/elderly relations/innocent neighbors) due to these beasts.

Your friends have whats called lion tamer mentality and that dumb confidence could kill them or worse, strangers.

Please note-collies, poodles, spaniels etc aren't known for suddenly dismembering their owners, are they? There's a reason why...

The "ban" is not working.
How about a totally new approach.
ALL dogs banned except certain breeds which must be bought from licensed breeders .
There would still be a lot of scope for different breeds for pets/ working dogs etc. but absolutely no more unlicensed breeders.
All dogs chipped and if found not to be legal they are impounded and PTS.

Dog lover here. Put all the XLs down.

Isn’t the problem with these animals (beyond their ridiculously dangerous size and strength) that a high percentage of them in this country are related to a fighting stud dog called ‘Killer Kimbo’, making them genetically unstable and unpredictably reactive?

If this case there’s no solution other than to wipe out the bloodline - sad as that may be for the few responsible owners. Which the kind of people who choose to own breeds like this rarely are.