Something needs to be done about unleashed pitbulls/ XL bullys

[TheyareEverywhere]

We've just moved to a new area which seemed nice and a good place to raise the kids.

After living here for just a week I've had two encounters with one of those big, bulky pitbull / XL bully type dogs off lead with the type of owner you'd expect to have them - young, unable to control them, the sort who use the dog as a penis extention to intimidate people and train the dogs to latch onto things at the park.

DP got chatting to a man at the shop and apparently they belong to drug dealers from the other block down the road. Lovely.

I'm scared of those dogs and won't pretend I'm not. I know what they can, and do, do to people / kids. My DD is equally as scared of them after having one growl and bark at her at the park.

Surely something should be done about people like this, fines for having them off lead on public streets? I don't know. All I know is they're frightening and shit to live amongst 😔

AIB unreasonable?

I have thought that eye gouging eye might be the best option, but once you're wrestling that kind of animal I dont think you'd be conscious for long enough to do much.
If I see one I cross the road immediately, always try and keep a busy road between me and the animal.
Also I take photos if I see one and send to my local police so they can build a data base of who has them or is associated with them.

Why do these threads always descend into people's violent animal abuse fantasies? Ugh.

I mean the idea of walking around on high alert with something you are intending to use to gouge an animal's eye out with is fucked up.

It's not animal abuse fantasies!! It's the last thing on earth I want to have to do. I barely dare go out anywhere and I will absolutely try to save my child anyway I can if one attacks. You do know people are losing their children, their lives and suffering life changing injuries yeah? Police get helicopters & guns out to catch them if they attack. Are they too fantasists?

Don't be utterly ridiculous.

Ignore the idiots on the thread, these animals are a clear danger to the public.

Also don't wrestle...give them something else like a bag or if need be...your left arm. Push into the bite. They will be fixated...so long as you are on your feet then try to choke out with the collar or gouge the eyes

You all sound fucking nuts.
Slitting dogs throats
Gouging their eyes out
Poisoning them

Your poor kids.

Carrying a stick/walking pole is then possibly a good idea? I'm not keen on offering my arm, I've seen too many examples of people who've had their arm ripped off, often by their own dog.

I've seen too many examples of people who've had their arm ripped off, often by their own dog

Have you really.

@CBAanymoreTBH how did the owners of the animal react in the SUV incident that you mentioned?

They just grabbed the dog and told me he was friendly and asked me how he got out! I actually felt like a bit of a tit. It ran straight at me though and I managed to push my trolley at it then I thought has it gone or not...I went up on the car next to me and the dog just circled around. No way did I feel brave enough to come down though. I probably did let fear get the better of me and I'm a dog lover. It just seemed fixated on me the minute it got loose and I had a very bad feeling.

That is the usual reaction, gaslight/spin to blame the victim, they know they are in the wrong but all they care about is the 'fur baby', that's why they keep up the breezy 'he's friendly, how did he get out' act
In no way are you a tit and this isnt a case of letting fear get the better of you, following your gut instinct allowed you to avoid an attack, have you considered reporting the incident?
This was definately a case of a dog being dangerously out of control and if you read the article I linked to (text below) it does seem that the police are taking this problem very seriously now.

A police force is calling for XL bully dogs to be added to the list of banned breeds after a sharp rise in the number of attacks.
South Yorkshire Police say they have already dealt with 180 reports of out of control dogs in 2023 – more than double the number for the whole of 2018.
South Yorkshire Police destroyed 89 dogs last year for being dangerously out of control.
Officers are now calling for all owners to be required to obtain a licence.
They want an outright ban on XL bully dogs - a relatively new breed known for their size and muscle mass. XL bullies accounted for 25% of all dogs seized by South Yorkshire Police since January 2022.
Assistant Ch Con Dan Thorpe said: "We can’t ignore the fact that the XL bully breed is disproportionately represented in the number of dog attacks we attend.
"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 victims loved ones and the wider community.
"Without action, we can expect the danger posed by certain breeds to only get worse."
XL bullies, not currently on the Dangerous Dogs list, have been responsible for several fatal attacks this year.
Mr Thorpe added: "XL bully dogs seem to have a high propensity for aggression and once they turn, even the most experienced owners have limited ability to do anything about it due to the power and strength of the breed."
“With all of that in mind, it doesn’t seem right that police have no powers to intervene until an attack is underway."
The mother of Joanne Robinson, 43, who was killed by her own dog in Rotherham, says tighter controls are needed. Ms Robinson bought the dog, called Rocco, believing it to be an XL bully, but it was found to be an Italian mastiff.
Her mother, Dot Robinson, said:"I think about it everyday and what happened and I would hate anyone else to go through what I am going through."
"Any dog can turn. It is the size of them. I think all dogs needs licensing. These breeds need banning."
South Yorkshire Police are now working with ministers to explore the inclusion of the XL bully breed within dangerous dog legislation, and the introduction of licences for dog owners with different restrictions for different breeds based on their propensity to aggression.
They are also calling for a national database of microchips.
During the pandemic the number of dogs nationally rose from nine million to over 12 million.
Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “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 currently several incidents a day involving dogs in South Yorkshire, which is a startling statistic.
"I have written about my concerns to the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and they are in direct contact with ministers." '

Agreed, and I say that as a former dog owner.

Totally feel I overreacting and thinking I aggravated it pushing the trolley at it. Thing is it was my instinct to escape it and I've been questioning why I had that instinct as I wasn't really scared of them previously. Now I'm kind of phobic and been reading a lot on them and it seems you don't really have a chance to escape once they start. Hence my reading up on defence methods too. I read about a mother who knifed the family pet...the grandmother's dog after it attacked her child. In America it's absolutely mental it seems with so many pit attacks and it seems to be heading the same way here.

I have stopped drinking at my local pub as an XL Bully roams freely. I don't let my Pom off the lead and she's tiny. Scares the shit out of me. The owner plays hide and seek with the dog and it gets more wound up and anxious. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Glad it's not just me being paranoid. I've stopped walking my elderly dog off road as there are far too many loose dogs around. I live near a place where an elderly woman was attacked recently & it took 5 builders with scaffold pipes to save her. I hadn't even heard about it until I've been looking online the last few days.

The owners enjoy the feeling of power they get by using the animal to intimidate and scare others, these animals are not pets they are weapons.

you described yourself as a dog lover so you presumably have good instincts re dog behaviour, I had an incident where I had to use my bike to keep 2 aggressive dogs at bay, as usual the owner says nothing and scuttles off as if nothing has happened.
I was bitten a few years ago, the owner looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened then quietly disappeared with the animal, while I stood there bleeding. All they care about is protecting their 'fur baby'😡

Never mind the PC response - we all know exactly the type of owner the OP is referring to - if you don’t, you’re obviously living in a very sheltered, middle class neighbourhood.

Had a Dog Warden today rescue a gentle, sweet dog that was set upon by one of these XL bullies, and ran for her life . These are monsters and massively strong
They need muzzling and leashing-

Dog warden says they are a bad mix of naturally aggressive temperament and completely unsuitable owners.

Many are being surrendered- DW says people are giving them away over social media, which is disastrous.

Check out the other thread on here...so many people in denial making preposterous justifications as to why these breeds should not be subject to legislation