Government to *finally* look at banning XL bullies

[NoCharnce]

Thank goodness. I cannot believe it has taken so long* to even look at banning these awful creatures (I say that as a dog lover). Looks like the viral footage of an XL mauling two men who were trying to defend an 11 year old girl is the straw that broke the camels back.

Tweet direct from Home Sec: https://x.com/suellabraverman/status/1700924751646982312?s=46&t=QlNZXgFJWDXuxa3K3yo7ag

*policy makers have been captured by the RSPCA/Dog’s Trust etc “it’s not the breed, it’s the owner” dogma

It’s not the breed. Only because everyone’s scared of them doesn’t mean they’re dangerous and aggressive. I have an xl bully myself and he is like a giant cushion(so sweet and loving) all they are is protective. I know as long as he’s by my side then I’m safe that’s how protective he is. When he goes for walks people cross over to the other side of the pavement. I’m not being funny but little dogs such as chihuahuas and all that are more aggressive than this breed. Little dogs are the ones that start all this biting behaviour and the bigger dogs get the blame. Don’t ban these dogs just because of cruel people like yous

I'll take an 5 aggressive chihuahuas over one aggressive XL Bully, any day.

Except it IS the 'Breed' . Most of the ones in UK and Ireland are heavily inbred {coefficient of inbreeding of 40% and over} related multiple times to human aggressive killers {which have killed in USA} , and now here.

''Killer Kimbo'' and it's son 'Nico' -Nico slaughtered a 4 yr old girl

I'd trust almost any 'type' of dog over these XL {big pitbull types} they turn without warning. In USA they are called ''Pitbulls'' as opposed to XL bullies which is a name designed to get around the UK ban
https://blog.dogsbite.org/2014/03/2014-dog-bite-fatality-family-pit-bull-kills-houma-girl.html

It's laughable people who own XLs always bleat on about chihuahuas.
I have never known a chihuahua slaughter a child, kill someone's pet dog or disembowel a man, or tear the throat out of a human, or remove a face.

Chihuahuas can be picked up in one hand- it's such a ludicrous, bone headed argument lacking in any logical thinking to say a chihuahua is ''more aggressive'' than a known man killer.

{and they {XL} turn on their women owners a fair bit too for some reason.}

''Soft as sh&t'' say the owners- til they are being mauled to death.

You can keep your dog, as long as you prove you are a responsible owner, and I really hope your dog stays okay for the duration of its life....Sadly though there seem to be stories every other day of these dogs snapping "out of nowhere" - I was chilled reading of the man cuddled up watching TV with his XL bully last week, before it stared nudging him on the arm, before starting to attack him. A responsible owner of one of these large bully breeds should not be saying "my dog would never..." or "he's so protective of me". Those are major red flags of someone not understanding the breed they have, how to appropriately train and keep it. Your massive dog that could overpower you easily...what if his "protective" instincts are triggered when he sees a child running past? If you want to be responsible, accept that you are in charge of a hugely powerful dog that has plenty of evidence for being part of a breed that has quick trigger responses and can be incredibly dangerous to those around it because of its power. If you want to have this responsibility and own your dog for the duration of its life, the least you can do for the rest of the community is be educated on what can go wrong and why, keep your dog muzzled in public spaces, and kept safely at home.
I am sorry it must be hard to get your head around when you love your individual pet (again - you can keep your dog as long as it's safe!). However what would be cruel is to allow people to continually inbreed dogs who have disproportionate power and temperament to cause harm to innocent bystanders in communities.

@Speakingfacts

I know as long as he’s by my side then I’m safe that’s how protective he is.

what does this actually mean in practice though? What specifically will your dog do to make sure you’re safe - bite people? How does your dog decide whether you’re safe or unsafe? Isn’t the point of the dangerous dog act to prevent dogs that overreact from causing injury or death to other people? You don’t know what your bully XL will do if they feel under threat - and that doesn’t mean in a life or death scenario…

No one cares about aggressive/stubborn chihuahuas cause in one kick or by lifting them, you’ll immobilise them from attacking you. Most adults would struggle to immobilise an aggressive/stubborn bully XL - they weigh more than some adults and are physically stronger

Here is a big pitbull attack in a dog shelter.. {in USA they are just called XL pits} this dog bit four people in it's own family- it is on a mandatory rabies 10 day quarantine, and the owners want it back, despite severe injuries to themselves.

What happened here shows four staff grappling to get it off someone - it had to be shot , but still it ''came back to life''- they aren't like normal dogs- very bone headed to resist even a bullet.

NO one would stand a chance when these things flip.

A professional animal psychologist broke down exactly what was happening for a court, hence the slow speed.

Two xl's killed and ate part of their female owner at a veterinary facility.
She was walking them in the yard of the practice, and they turned on her.

The vet practice said beforehand that they were too aggressive for their staff to manage, so they could only be quarantined there if the owner walked them on the vet's yard.

They were 'guarding' her body as if the owner was prey.

No one heard the woman screaming.

''The veterinarian at an Irving animal hospital where a woman was mauled to death by her pit bulls said the attack was “traumatic, chaotic, and emotional” for everyone at the clinic. Johana Villafane, 33, died at Parkland Emergency Hospital after being attacked by her two pit bulls at O’Connor Animal Hospital on Saturday. The woman was visiting her dogs at the clinic where they had been quarantined after biting someone, according to Irving police. A vet at the clinic, James Kang, said in a statement that staff was unable to walk the dogs because of their aggressive behavior, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA. The woman and her family came to the clinic twice a day for a week walking the dogs, Kang said in the statement. However, on Saturday, Villafane took the dogs in the back yard of the clinic. “We were very busy taking care of clients and patients all morning that we were unable to hear any noise or screaming that occurred in the back yard,” Kang said in the statement. A receptionist saw Villfane lying in the back yard at about 11:15 a.m. and called 911. Kang said they could not get to Villafane to help her because the dogs were guarding her. Police arrived and shot both of the dogs, according to Irving police.''

Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article228517434.html#storylink=cpy

It’s not the breed. Only because everyone’s scared of them doesn’t mean they’re dangerous and aggressive. I have an xl bully myself and he is like a giant cushion(so sweet and loving) all they are is protective. I know as long as he’s by my side then I’m safe that’s how protective he is. When he goes for walks people cross over to the other side of the pavement. I’m not being funny but little dogs such as chihuahuas and all that are more aggressive than this breed. Little dogs are the ones that start all this biting behaviour and the bigger dogs get the blame. Don’t ban these dogs just because of cruel people like yous

The point is if an XL bully turns you don't stand a chance.

@oakleaffy a tragic incident but her dog had already bitten someone and vet staff said it was unmanageable- why did she persist on keeping such lethal weapons alive? She didn’t seem to care about the risk of her dogs to other people, but I guess she cared in her final seconds. What a horrific and frightening way to die. The vet management clearly made a wise decision not to walk her dogs or that could have been one of their staff dead instead.

I don’t trust ANY dog owner who claims their dog will never do x y or z. Because you never know. But with certain breeds the risk is obviously greater.

Absolutely terrifying, it is shocking how many of these stories there actually are. You need only a quick Google to see how often these attacks are happening. For a dog that has only really been in the UK for a few years it is sick how many other dogs, children and adult innocent bystanders have been mauled.
I personally have been scared to take my children out of the house alone since one of these dogs "spotted" my baby in the carrier and started to show threat behaviour around six weeks ago, having to be forcibly restrained by two grown men. I am on wait list for trauma therapy, and know there will be many many many more people joining me who end up with, at best, PTSD from an encounter with these dogs and at (increasingly common) worst, life changing injuries or fatalities. I feel angry that these Pitbull type dogs have been able to be bred and proliferate with a very good PR job from dodgy breeders of 'companion dog', aimed at people who show themselves up as not remotely educated on what genetics, breeding, and type means for the dog they own. And I frickin love dogs aswell! When our retrievers and labs run off in fields and bring back sticks and balls constantly whilst the cav king Charles wants to potter nearby to its favourite person, I understand the role breed and genetics play in THAT behaviour....but no one seems to want to admit that the dog they own has some bred in traits too.....
I'd rather someone just said "I love my pet and have never had issues with them, but I understand the risks with the breed type so am very vigilant, we have a secure home and garden where it is raised with love, good training and boundaries, and I have muzzle trained appropriately and will keep muzzle on + on a short harness and lead when in public spaces to be responsible to others". I am really bored of seeing people complain about "people crossing the road when they see my dog". Like they are offended by people being terrified for their own and their children's lives...I crossed the road away from a skittish dog that looked like a standard bully a while ago, that was on a Flexi lead and very much not to heel. I made quick assessment that breed type + lack of training and behaviour meant it was not a dog I wanted anywhere near my children.I had my toddler and baby with me in a pram. The owner made some rude comment that I couldn't hear and gesticulated to me. How about, if you don't like people avoiding your dog, next time get one of the MANY other breeds that aren't built like juggernauts and not regularly implicated in sudden maulings then...
Sorry, rant!

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/man-charged-after-his-dog-attacked-a-20-month-old-child-in-greenwich-12975525

New story every day at the moment it seems...For a dog that is estimated to make up around 1% of total dog population in the UK...
Ban can not come soon enough.
I will always be vigilant with any dogs around children because I'm a responsible dog lover, but I look forward to the day I don't have to worry so much about more of these particular dogs being bred and ending up on the streets. Would be nice if some laws are put in around back yard breeding, and licenses for breeding and dog ownership, whilst they are at it so that it is harder for people to pick a new breed to mistreat and create havoc with.

That 1% figure comes from BullyWatch UK which is not registered in any way. They are not a charity, they are not an official government department, they have no peer-reviewed papers or ongoing studies and they have no access to official statistical data other than what is released to the general public but that figure hasn't been released anywhere else. Nor do they cite their source. They've literally just plucked it out of thin air.

They also have published a "scientific" study where the vast majority of their sources are listed as "Wikipedia". It would be laughable were it not for the fact that an alarming number of people seem to think BullyWatch is some kind of official, expert organisation.

I could start a WordPress calling myself the "Dr. Frequency, The World's Leading Expert on Fried Green Tomatoes" but it wouldn't make it true.

@May1988 , how terrifying for you. I know of people scared to walk anywhere now because of these dogs. It is extraordinary that these things and their scummy owners are menacing and quite literally, terrifying society.

I fear much worse to come tbh as even muzzling etc wont stop these killing machines escaping the homes that own them, as illustrated by what happened to poor Ian Price 😔 It is truly depressing.

They are extremely dangerous dogs-
Just look at American statistics- children, the elderly, people attacked in their own garage as these bloody things escape.
pitbull xL owners seem to be the least responsible type of dog owners.

Pitbull apologists have lost children to these things as they flip so easily.

I just hope the government are rigorous in their description of what an XL type is-

But muzzling/ leash laws won’t help anyone visiting, like a child (Jack Lees) or of one gets loose from It’s back yard.

@May1988 That must have been terrifying for you.
There is nothing one can do to defend oneself against these aggressive dogs- as we have seen, even gunshot to the head doesn’t work
it takes multiple rounds.
An air horn was suggest online for countries where pistols aren’t allowed-
Even the Dog Warden says they want these out of the community as they are so unlike other breeds.
This is a dog experienced person.
Genetic drive is dismissed by Pit advocates
Dogs bred to fight and back crossed -

It is ALWAYS breed- owner can help shape but cannot extinguish innate drive.

Sure, absolutely agree that statistical rigour important so that's a fair point about sources, have seen this around 1% quoted a lot but clearly no one has true idea of how many there are. Bully watch appear to me to be doing best they can to represent victims and build a picture with currently available information. Hopefully when these dogs have to be registered we will get somewhere closer to a true picture of the number/percentage in the UK. I'd totally back all dog owners having to licence and register their dogs anyway whatever the breed.
The numbers for injuries requiring hospital treatment and fatalities however cannot be denied. Those are not guesswork, but based on incidents logged through hospitals and through the police. Of which high percentages have been caused by bully breeds, particularly XLs in recent years no? So we know for pretty much sure that there are far less XL bullys than some of the most prevalent breeds like labradors or spaniels according to registers and polls of dog types (I appreciate is hard to get true numbers of any type of dog owned without licensing system) but the attack data heavily swings in favour of XL bullies being statistically overrepresented considering their lower prevalence. It seems to me that keeping some essential points in mind will help everyone, even the responsible owners of XLs - this is a newer hybrid breed in this country, closely genetically linked to already banned Pitbull, and in the years it has become more fashionable, attacks have gone up significantly, attributed in large percentages to this breed. Not all XL bullys, of course, will attack in their lifetime and I truly hope those responsible people with beloved pets can continue a safe existence with their pet....whilst also respecting the underlying risks when around those of us who did not ask to be around these dogs in our communities, where we should be able to take children for walks in prams without fear of "protective" or prey driven dogs overpowering owners and attacking.

SEPTEMBER 2023 - - LIST OF PIT BULL ATTACKS/FATALITIES (ongoing)

From the reddit sub BanPitBulls.

In just the last month, pit bulls killed 1 child, 8 adults, and 98 other animals.

Appalling statistics.
No other dog type kills and maims as frequently as Pits .

What other type routinely kills their kind hearted “ Rescuers” from these “ No kill” shelters?
Even the puppies cannibalise each other.

The numbers for injuries requiring hospital treatment and fatalities however cannot be denied. Those are not guesswork, but based on incidents logged through hospitals and through the police.

Except they're not taken from Police and NHS reports. Bullywatch is getting this info from tabloid media and Facebook. And now we have Reddit also being cited as a source of data

I don't disagree that these dogs should be muzzled in public and there should be at least a temporary ban on breeding and importing until further actual research is done but bandying about made-up numbers based on what the Daily Fail decides to report and what you can find on FB does nothing but cause hysteria and knee-jerk, ineffective legislation in response to the hysteria.

Looking at what I see locally when I'm out and about with my dog I would put the number at far higher than 1%. If I had to guess based on the dogs I see being walked I'd say they rival sighthounds with being the most popular breed in our area probably making up around 25% of the dogs owned, beaten only by spaniels. And yet, the only attacks locally reported on local Facebook groups have been by a Chow Chow and a Greyhound and 0 in the local or national news.

Reddit is not "the source". It collates reports of pit bull type dog attacks around the world and posts these daily. Every single one is from a verified news source and the vast majority have photos, videos, and police statements.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/169qbbe/september_2023_list_of_pit_bull_attacksfatalities/

There are, additionally, many many anecdotes shared by users there, including those who have lost children to these dogs.

Saying 'The Daily Fail' wasn't an effective way of winning any debate when people started doing it 20 years ago. It's just embarrassing now. Using the word 'hysteria' repeatedly on a site of primarily women is a bit shit, too.

Incidentally, @Frequency , when you posted:

Hundreds of innocent, well-behaved and loving family pets have been killed under this bullshit legislation and it has done precisely nothing to reduce the number of dog attack fatalities in the UK.

What was your control group, such that you were able to state so confidently that it had done precisely nothing to reduce dogs killing people in the UK?

Since you dismiss newspaper articles and police reports as valid sources of data, just wondering how you were able to so confidently state that this legislation hasn't reduced the numbers?

Would be great if you'd post the link to the peer-reviewed research you read which proved that. Thanks.

In case they remove the Reddit link, here's the text of that post. There is a comparable one for every month of the year. Every single attack is verified and linked (I've removed the links).

This is a list of pit bull attacks and fatalities documented by the media and social media for the month of September 2023. This list will be edited throughout the month and after as new incidents are reported.

CHILD FATALITIES: 1

ADULT FATALITIES: 8

ANIMAL FATALITIES: 98

TOTAL FATALITIES: 108

TOTAL ATTACKS LOGGED: 149

September 01

Orange Grove, TX: Man Halo-Flighted to hospital after being attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link

Patos de Minas, Brazil: Man had lip torn when attacked by pit bulls - Article Link

September 02

ANIMAL FATALITY - Kaasiku, Estonia: Woman attacked by 2 pit bulls who killed her Pomeranian dog.

Atherton, England: 2 women attacked by 2 dogs, 1 confirmed as XL Bully - Article Link

Kirby, England: 3 y/o girl mauled while playing outside - Article Link

Cabin Creek, WV: Woman assaulted by man and attacked by his 2 pit bulls - Article Link

Phoenix, AZ: 2 y/o boy popped a balloon and family friend’s pit bull attacked - Article Link

Mexico City, Mexico: 59 y/o attacked and seriously injured by 2 pit bulls - Article Link

September 03

ANIMAL FATALITY - West London, England: Cat killed by 2 loose pit bulls who had earlier tried to attack dog walkers and chased children.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Sweet Home, OR: Woman and her dogs attacked by pit bull, one didn’t survive.

Oldham, England: 2 dogs (1 a pit bull) attacked a woman and her dog - Article Link

Nousseviller-Saint-Nabor, France: 7 y/o girl attacked in the street - Article Link

Grafton, ND: Woman and her dogs attacked by pit bull - Article Link

Lambayeque, Peru: 6 m/o puppy's jaw fractured after pit bull attack - Post Link

Southampton, England: Man was walking his Cocker Spaniel-Dachshund cross when the dog was mauled by a loose pit bull - Article Link

Bac Giang, Vietnam: 4 people injured when elderly woman was attacked by her pit bull - Article Link

Langewiesen, Germany: Small dog attacked by neighbor's pit bull who's always loose - Link

September 04

ANIMAL FATALITY - Exeter, England: Autistic boy’s sensory cat fatally mauled by pit bull.

Huddersfield, England: 10 y/o child and man attacked by family dog - Article Link

Guasila, Italy: Police man bit by pit bull - Article Link

Apucarana, Brazil: Dog attacked and seriously injured - Article Link

September 05

ADULT FATALITY - San Antonio, TX: 47 y/o man attacked by 2 pit bulls, passed away 10/1/23.

ANIMAL FATALITY (2) - Penedo, Brazil: Pit bull and GSD broke into house and killed a dog. A cat was also killed on the street.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Santa Monica, CA: 2 dogs attacked, one seriously injured and one fatal.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Velletri, Italy: Poodle killed by pit bull.

South Carolina, USA: Loose pit bulls attacked ponies for the second time - Post Link

Brestje, Croatia: Child bit when pit bull jumped fence and attacked - Article Link

Jandaia do Sul, Brazil: Horse severely injured by pit bull - [Article Link)

September 06

ANIMAL FATALITY - Vancouver, WA: Yorkie dog attacked and killed by leashed pit bull.

Huddersfield, England: Man seriously injured after being attacked by his dog - Article Link

Idaho Falls, ID: Dog bit by pit bull, when the attacked dog’s owners went to confront the owner, a gun was pulled on them - Article Link

Crescent City, CA: Horse attacked and bit by pit bull - Post Link

Dublin, Ireland: 2 men had to separate pit bull attacking Maltese dog, owner fled the scene after - Article Link

Fanning Springs, FL: Man seriously injured after attack by 6 or 7 pit bulls - Article Link

September 07

ANIMAL FATALITY - Rosebud, MO: Loose pit bulls killed a cat.

Genoa, Italy: 16 y/o boy bit by loose pit bull - Article Link

Piombino, Italy: Pit bull injured her owner when biting another dog - Article Link

Villers-Saint-Paul, France: 6 y/o girl attacked by pit bull on her way to school - Article Link

September 08

ANIMAL FATALITY - 63 - Maysville, KY: Pit bull killed 62 bantams and chickens, and also killed a kitten.

Magherno, Italy: 71 y/o man died from cardiac arrest after attempting to separate his pit bull from 2 other pit bulls who were attacking - Article Link

Monks Corner, SC: Yorkie/poodle dog attacked by pit bull at dog park - Post Link

September 09

ANIMAL FATALITY - El Paso, TX: Woman was walking her small dog when it was ripped apart by off-leash pit bull.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Johns Creek, GA: Dobermann puppy killed by pit bull at park.

Birmingham, England: 11 y/o girl attacked by loose pit bull, 2 men attacked when attempting to help - Article Link

St. Augustine, FL: Pit bull bit another dog - Post Link

Norristown, PA: Mini Goldendoodle attacked by off-leash pit bull - Post Link

Florence, MS: Man attacked by 8 dogs, confirmed pit bulls via GoFundMe - Article Link)

Florence, Italy: 3 y/o girl bit on the head by pit bull - Article Link

Campo Grande, Brazil: 38 y/o woman attacked while holding 2 y/o daughter - Article Link

Ternier, France: Yorkie/Papillon mix attacked by pit bull while out on a walk - Article Link

Albuquerque, NM: Small dog attacked by pit bull - Link

September 10

ANIMAL FATALITY - Jacksonville, FL: Pit mix attacked and killed a dog.

Austin, TX: Man out running attacked by 2 pit bulls, another neighbor bitten while trying to help - Link

Maghull, England: Pit bull broke loose from leash to attack small dog - Article Link

Lexington, KY: Little girl had to get facial stitches from pit bull bite - Post Link

Slough, England: American Bulldog attacked smaller dog and injured the owner Article Link

Lancashire, England: Pocket Bully attacked by XL Bully - Link

Chicago, IL: 3 police officers attacked by 2 pit bulls. Breed not mentioned but confirmed via news outlet social media by a neighbor whose husband had also been attacked by the dogs - Article Link

September 11

ANIMAL FATALITY - North Haven, CT: Small dog killed by 2 loose pit bulls.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Puiseux-En-France, France: Black Shepherd killed by off-leash pit bull that dragged the dog away.

Bristol, England: Dog attacked at Victoria Park by pit bull - Post Link

Ankeny, IA: Girl bitten by pit bull 12 times - Article Link

Los Angeles, CA: Police officer shot 2 pit bulls after being bit. They had attacked and seriously injured a woman the night before - Article Link

London, England: 4 y/o boy was playing at park w/ his dad and brother when mauled by an off-lead pit bull so violently that the boy's shoes came off, had to have an operation done - Article Link

Morelos, Mexico: 5 y/ boy in critical condition after pit bull attack, skull detached after the dog grabbed the entire back of his skull - Article Link

September 12

ANIMAL FATALITY - Nailsea, England: Cat killed by pit bull with known history of killing cats.

Adelaide, Australia: 6 y/o boy hid in bathroom while family dog attacked his mom and uncle - Article Link

Clydebank, Scotland: Man injured when pit bull tried to attack his dog - Link

Cwmbach, Wales: Dog attacked by off-leash pit bull, owner fled afterwards - Link

September 13

ANIMAL FATALITY - London, England: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel killed by pit bull puppy.

Ribeirão Preto, Brazil: Man attacked by his pit bull - Article Link

Norden, England: Dog attacked by loose pit bull - Link

September 14

ADULT FATALITY - Stonnall, England: 52 y/o man attacked by 2 pit bulls while protecting his mother, passed away on 9/15/23. Local primary school was on lock down for several hours. The man's death prompted PM Rishi Sunak's statement to ban American Bully XL dogs by the end of the year.

September 15

Conroe, TX: Dog attacked by 2 loose pit bulls - Post Link

Abaco, Bahamas: Teenage girl attacked by 3 loose pit bulls on her way home - Article Link

Castleford, England: 2 horses were attacked and badly injured by 2 pit bulls - Article Link

September 16

ANIMAL FATALITY - Prague, OK: Chihuahua killed by 2 pit bulls.

Birkenhead, England: Woman in her 50s hospitalized after pit bull attack - Article Link

Brownsville, TX: 11 y/o Schnauzer attacked by family member's pit bull - Post Link

Bethesda, Wales: 3 off-lead pit bulls mauled Jack-A-Poo - Article Link

Plymouth, England: Man attacked by Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Article Link

Bethlehem, South Africa: 64 y/o farm worker attacked and fought off 2 pit bulls for hours - Article Link

Częstochowa, Poland: 10 y/o boy was walking his dog when they were attacked by a stray pit bull - Article Link

New Zealand: Small dog attacked and seriously injured by pit bull - Post Link

London, England: 3 y/o Shih-Tzu and his owner attacked when pit bull ran across the street - Article Link

September 17

ADULT FATALITY (2) - Ribeirão Preto, Brazil: Elderly couple killed by nephew's 3 pit bulls, 78 y/o woman deceased when their nephew returned home and 75 y/o man dying later at the hospital.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Calgary, Alberta: 4 y/o Morkie killed by pit bull (breed not mentioned but video footage shows pit bull type dog).

September 18

ANIMAL FATALITY - Luís Correia, Brazil: Dog killed by 2 pit bulls.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Unknown Location: Shiba Inu killed by pit bull.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Ketton, England: Cocker Spaniel fatally attacked while being walked.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Stockton, MO: Pit mix killed a cat.

Leppington, Australia: Mother and teenage son attacked by family pit bull - Article Link

Bagnolo Cremasco, Italy: Small dog bitten in the neck and severely injured by pit bull - Article Link

Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil: 4 y/o boy's face torn apart when he was attacked by a tied-up pit bull who broke loose - Article Link

Ribeirão Preto, Brazil: Pit bull attacked stray dog - Article Link

Bristol, England: Chihuahua attacked by pit bull who had a history of attacking other small dogs - Link

September 19

Dallas, TX: Woman and man attacked by neighbor's loose pit bulls - Post Link

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Woman and her dog attacked by pit bull, owner fled the scene - Article Link

Delhi, India: Lab dog lost ear after pit bull attack, owner injured - Post Link

September 20

ADULT FATALITY - Kennewick WA: 65 y/o woman mauled by 2 pit bulls while protecting her dog, passed away 9/22/23.

ADULT FATALITY - Włocławek, Poland: 56 y/o man attacked and killed by his own pit bull.

Atlanta, GA: Yorkie attacked by pit bull, who was shot and killed by the Yorkie's owner - Article Link

Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil: 66 y/o man attacked by pit bull who had also attacked a 4 y/o boy on 9/18/23 - Article Link

Charlotte, NC: 5 y/o girl seriously injured after pit bull attack - Article Link

September 21

Romilly-sur-Seine, France: Small Westie dog attacked and owner injured by pit bull attack, owner fled the scene - Article Link

Licoli, Italy: 5 y/o boy attacked by pit bull who had previously attacked a 2 y/o girl in June - Article Link

Nampa, ID: 2 kids hospitalized after pit bull attack, one was scalped and the other victim sustained abdominal injuries. They were waiting for the school bus - Article Link

Sheffield, England: Pit bull escaped and attacked a dog being walked - Article Link

Jamestown, CA: Man mauled by pit bull mix who had to hold the dog off until police intervention - Article Link

September 22

ANIMAL FATALITY - Mornago, Italy: Pit bull escaped and attacked 2 dogs, killing one.

London, England: Man in his 40s attacked by XL Bully in Pasley Park, owner fled the scene - Article Link

Dundee, Scotland: 63 y/o man seriously injured by his ow pit bull. Wife was attacked a couple weeks earlier - Article Link

Wolverhampton, England: 38 y/o man attacked by an off-leash pit bull - Article Link

Itapema, Brazil: Small dog attacked by unmuzzled pit bull - Article Link

Bundall, Australia: 2 Dachshunds attacked by a pit bull, woman was also bitten on the face - Link

September 23

ANIMAL FATALITY - Bedford, Nova Scotia: Pit bull attacked and killed a dog.

Middlesbrough, England: 60 y/o man attacked by pit bull during an altercation with 3 other men - Article Link

Chicago, IL: Beagle attacked by a pit bull and was missing after he ran away - Link

Osage Beach, MO: Shih-Tzu attacked by neighbor's 5 pit bulls - Link

September 24

ADULT FATALITY - Texarkana, AR: 60 y/o woman killed by a pack of pit bull mixes.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Venice, Italy: Cat killed by pit bull.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Bedford, Nova Scotia: Same pit bull that killed a dog on 9/23/23 killed a toy Poodle out on a walk.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Ladson, SC: Kitten killed by neighbor’s pit bull.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Poleglass, Ireland: Jack Russell killed by pit bull.

ANIMAL FATALITY - New South Wales, Australia: 2 loose pit bulls killed a dog on its front lawn.

Sheffield, England: Woman and 1 y/o daughter attacked - Article Link

Muncie, IN: Dog attacked when neighbor's pit bull broke through the fence - Link

Essex, England: Dog attacked by pit bull who had no leash or collar - Link

Marion, IN: Dog attacked by pit bull - Link

September 25

ANIMAL FATALITY - 2 pit bulls entered a property and killed a donkey.

September 26

ADULT FATALITY - Toledo, OH: 70 y/o woman killed by her pit-mix.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Montesilvano, Italy: Dachshund killed after pit bull escapes and attacks.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Long Beach, CA: Silky Terrier killed by pit bull.

New York City, NY: Owner hospitalized with serious injuries after adopting a pit bull from a shelter - Post Link

Kyle, TX: Golden Retriever puppy and her owners attacked by pit bulls while out on a walk - Link

September 27

CHILD FATALITY - Teixeira de Freitas, Brazil: 2 y/o boy killed by the family dog.

ANIMAL FATALITY - Eden, NY: Stray pit bull killed adopted family's dog.

Montebelluna, Italy: Pit bull escaped and attacked another dog and its owner while attempting to separate them - Article Link

Padua, Italy: Woman and her small dog attacked by pit bull - Article Link

Berra, Italy: Dog and owner attacked by pit bull who jumped a fence - Article Link

The Hague, Netherlands: 3 people attacked by 3 pit bulls - Article Link

September 28

Coventry, England: Man and woman attacked by pit bull - Article Link

September 29

ANIMAL FATALITY - Lurgan, Ireland: Puppy killed by 2 pit bulls.

September 30

Gauteng, S. Africa: Pit bull attacked other pit bull in family home, owners both injured while trying to separate the dogs - Post Link

Unconfirmed Dates

Zapopan, Mexico: 2 women attacked by their pit, one had thumb amputated - Article Link

Mortara, Italy: Off-leash pit bull attacked dog and owner - Article Link

Nova Lima, Brazil: Children were playing with a puppy at an auto shop when a pit bull came in and attacked the puppy - Article Link

Ciudad Caucel, Mexico - 74 y/o woman attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link

Maybe it's dependent on area as to how many of these dogs you see. I live in an area with a very high number of dogs. I see at least 20-30 dogs a day being walked. (I walk to work through a park and go running so im out often seeing the dog walkers). I would say I know of 2 bull type dogs in the area I've seen. The majority of dogs around here are doodle types, spaniels, greyhounds, labs and dashunds. And one rottweiler who lives across the road. Maybe there are more bull dogs and they don't get walked. I don't know. But I very rarely see them around here.

Okay sure - and Bully watch are completely transparent that it is a difficult area to gather data on, and even say perhaps bites from smaller dogs are underreported due to them not being fatal or not needing medical attention, but you can:
A ) verify fatalities over past few years across UK and other countries by breed/ suspected breed...and we KNOW XL bullies/Pitbull types are highly represented in these
B) see the multiple published studies that they have used in their research listed - all of which look at pitbull type attacks and breed traits. Many in the USA as there is more data. Newer breed type (since pitbulls rightly originally banned!) to this country means less official data at this time.
C) They list data they find on any other dog attack too - again, if a bit hasn't been serious enough to require hospitalisation, or caused a fatality of animal or human, it won't reach media and likely won't even reach police. So essentially - okay we don't have exact data, but the data that we DO have more than suggests strong correlation between this breed type and fatalities or hospitalisations.
D) What is your evidence that the dangerous dog act hasn't stopped deaths or attacks by breeds? Pitbulls were banned in this country and the attacks by pitbulls stopped for many years. Pitbulls have been snuck in to the UK by the back door with a dose of inbreeding for good measure, and lo and behold the reported attack numbers go up again. Whether the legislation is fit for purpose more generally is a different issue, as is the issue of bad ownership and dog attacks rising more generally..I personally would love to see it that we all had to have licenses for our dogs, and that you would be required to have dogs neutered unless you are able to get a special breeding license, with proving appropriate conditions and lineage etc.
E.) Anecdotal evidence of your area, as you know, means not much - just as much as my anecdotal traumatic incident doesn't mean every XL bully will growl at babies. Your area sounds very highly populated compared to many areas so thankfully will not represent any kind of average. The only two I have seen locally to me were the one above and a younger one that was absolutely taking its owner for a walk, not the other way around, and people were literally scattering and hiding behind trees or changing direction as it went past (this was several months ago so long before any big media stories so was very much instinctive response to the breed type..I myself gestured to my partner to grab our toddler and carry her....why would any of us, apart from tiny percentage of people who want to own these dogs, want to live like this in our local areas!?)

So... the data is transparently gathered from various sources, both formal research papers, media, police reports etc and informal (facebook, nextdoor etc) but this is how a lot of data is collected for many purposes when you get down into it. Mixtures of sources. There are large data sources in many credible research papers across many disciplines that come from things like polls or questionnaires or scanning media reports. This doesn't mean it is data that should be ignored....

So with this in mind what is your suggestion? That we should continue as we are with more and more of these dogs being bred? What good would a pause do? A pause wouldn't give the police and courts powers to shut down irresponsible breeders of these dogs, or make it law for you to be showing yourself to be responsible through means like muzzling or neutering. A pause would also not get these dogs registered and "official" - this is precisely what will help us to get better data! When the majority of these dogs are registered under exemptions then we can know approximately how many there are, and then look at how many attacks keep happening. We shouldn't even be in this position. Loopholes need closing so no more Pitbull genetics can sneak in 10 years down the line through the next rebrand.