XL Bully attack | 8 year old boy seriously injured

[ThisOldThang]

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/schoolboy-8-seriously-injured-after-28610020

"A schoolboy is in a serious condition in hospital after being mauled by what is believed to be an XL bully.

Merseyside Police were called to Wadham Road in Bootle just after 5.20pm on Saturday following reports a dog had bitten an eight-year-old boy to the head in the communal area of flats nearby.

The boy was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries and required emergency surgery. He remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition."

IMHO the ban doesn't go anywhere near far enough and all XL Bullys need to be put to sleep.

AIBU?

I love dogs, big ones who cuddle up to you on the sofa and tower over you. But these XL bullys are so strong and completely out of hand. All it takes is them being hungry or upset you're touching their puppies or a kid running about like a rabbit in the dogs eyes. It's actually terrifying , it makes me worried to take my baby out in public because I don't know what I'd do if I saw one approach. I don't think a breed is inherently bad but in contrast these XLs are bred to hurt maul and cause pain. Some of them are so huge and muscular it's like walking around and having a small gorilla as a pet strength wise. Sadly I think they need to be put down. Even the "good" ones who know you well and have lived as family pets seem able to switch like a light and attack the people who have raised them. Other dogs normally stop at 1 bite or don't have the strength to rip an adult apart to kill. Genuinely scary knowing the kind of blase owners that tend to have them too, when they need proper training and controlling.

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr because it is unnecessary. I have giant dogs. They are under control at all times. They are trained to walk past/around people when told to. They pose no risk. But they are big.

I am on blood thinners. Any bite could be really bad news. Also if I were knocked to the ground I could be killed. That did happen once before I started the medication. It was a golden retriever. Ban them too?

THIS I’m sorry but there is a strong connection between owners in poverty with drug use in depraved areas where they can’t even look after themselves! Council homes and HA should automatically ban them, I nearly dropped to my knees when I saw my local council had made it clear they would still be allowing xls in social housing!

People in social housing are usually there because of limited earnings/money which there is a huge connection with these dogs weather anyone cares to admit that or not I visit my mum she lives in a very nice area of town no social housing lucky if I’ve seen more than one, I go and visit my auntie in a very deprived area of town 90% is social housing and they are everywhere you turn with a tiny teenager being walked up the road!

Needless to say my auntie was furious having 3 very young children that this decision was made!

I was walking my mid size dog at about 11pm one night and there was a man with an xl bully on the other side of the road and the dog was pulling to get to my dog. The man could barely hold it back. I don’t think the dog wanted to eat my dog and probably just wanted a sniff but it made me think what if it had been aggressive. I assume he was being walked that late because the man struggled to control him.

and then I was thinking do i drop the lead and let my dog run for it and hope for the best? Don’t walk that late anymore.

You left a couple out:

”The sorts who own these dogs don’t care about the law so legal restrictions won’t make any difference.”

What I think of as the burglars’ charter. And:

”There should be complicated, hugely expensive training and licensing for owners and breeders of pet dogs. Of course all tax payers should fund the dog lovers’ hobby in this way.”

AKA ‘owning a pet dog is so important, and owners are so important, that everyone else should suck it up.’

Phone the police and let them know, this is illegal as shouldn’t even have been born!

Enough is enough.
I don't think I am allowed to say out loud what I would like to happen to their moronic owners.
I hope the little boy recovers.

As an XL bully owner seeing this again saddens me. There’s a definite correlation between XL bully + irresponsible owner = dangerous dog. I know of a number of well looked after, well trained bullies who are so well behaved and none aggressive it shows how good a dog they can be.
BSL doesn’t work. Licence and background checks. It’s not difficult. If you want a shotgun or any other type of firearm you need to meet a certain criteria. Why not the same if you want a dog over a certain size and weight. The current ban is just a knee jerk reaction by a failing government to try and look like they’re doing something.

‘There should be complicated, hugely expensive training and licensing for owners and breeders of pet dogs. Of course all tax payers should fund the dog lovers’ hobby in this way.”

AKA ‘owning a pet dog is so important, and owners are so important, that everyone else should suck it up.’

I’m a dog owner and dog lover, I think there should be tests etc for potential owners but at their cost. Dog licences should be reintroduced.
No one should keep any dog without having a knowledge and/or commitment to learning about far more than just their basic needs.

Most dog bites happen due to lack of understanding body language, and unwitting owners putting their dogs in intolerable situations over and over again. This is unacceptable. Most “cute dog and baby photo” proves this.

Give stupid people big powerful dogs without any intention to train or socialise it, watch them ignore increasing signs that their dog is a risk, see what happens.

If we want dogs we need to prove that we can do it safely, and we need to pay for that.

Well, doing something is better than doing nothing.

@Babsexxx Council homes and HA should automatically ban them, I nearly dropped to my knees when I saw my local council had made it clear they would still be allowing xls in social housing!

Needless to say my auntie was furious having 3 very young children that this decision was made

Awful but sadly not surprising. Yeah I feel especially bad for those like your Auntie with young kids. It’s a horrendous situation to be in depending on the area you live in and also if you depend on public transport.

I wonder if any HA’s have actually had the guts to ban Xls?

So many things in this country are reactive as opposed to preventative. They wait for terrible things to happen instead of taking reasonable steps to try and prevent them.

From what I’ve heard Germany is a dog friendly nation which still imposes strict rules such as muzzles and short leashes on most breeds in many enclosed areas.

“Dog friendly” or “pet loving nation” shouldn’t be synonymous with dog owners having zero restrictions. Especially considering sometimes the victim of dog attacks are other dogs.

But clearly not nearly enough.
I agree with Buffalo and would happily pay to make dog owning and breeding better regulated and safer for all. The current approach isn’t working.

To add to her worries she has numerous health problems and her mobility isn’t up to much at all! Another worry! That’s another thing that must be considered there are alot of disabled people in social housing and that’s a good reason they are in them in the first place!

If grown men have been killed where on earth does that leave these disabled people??? Soo vulnerable it turns my stomach I don’t know why the councils aren’t looking into that fact either….the mind boggles.

Agree that all breeding should be licensed and a criminal offence to sell puppies without a licence. If your dog ‘accidentally’ gets pregnant then the puppies go to a rescue centre. I know underground breeding would continue but I would hope it would restrict puppy farming etc. also when you register a puppy with the vet you have to show the breeders documentation perhaps. I know so many people who have ended up with farmed puppies/fashionable puppies bred for money because they didn’t do any research - they are responsible owners in terms of getting the dog insured etc so I think if the vet/insurance company refused to take on undocumented puppies that would make a difference.

people will complain that it makes getting a dog unaffordable so a rich persons game but I think taking a dog is a big responsibility and perhaps having to save up would be better

The owner is a huuuge part of the problem. My friend is going through a hearing now as her dog was killed by an XL and she was bitten badly twice following the death.

The issue was the owner. They were not nice people. Were known for doing illegal stuff and never let the XL out, go for walks etc so very irresponsible dog owners.

Certain types of people are more likely to own certain types of dogs. There is a correlation for a reason.

Swap them all for a sausage dog

That’s incredibly sad and so true, it’s often the most vulnerable that are being forced into these situations and they are the least equipped and able to fight off an attack.

I think more people need to put pressure on their local authorities and HAs.

@todayshappening why do you own a dog like that? Do you never worry what might happen?

I have a small dog who is as soft as anything. But if in pain or startled I assume there is a possibility it could snap at me. It would be the same for your dog. The difference being I and anyone else around my dog would have the greater chance of being alive.

There was one roaming around our local duck pond trying to get bread out of kids hands recently. It was an accident waiting to happen. Very frustrating. Not even Just that breed mind, people let all kinds of dogs off and i often see them jumping at kids and chasing ducks and the owners either oblivious or thinking it’s a great laugh. But I do agree the bully dogs tend to be owned by a particular type as a status thing, and to try and show case their aggression as another poster said. I feel the risk of them attacking kids is far too high and the attacks far too common.

I’m a dog owner and dog lover, I think there should be tests etc for potential owners but at their cost.

OK, I’d think a fair point to start would be £5,000 then £1,000 annually - to ensure the dog owner maintains interest and attention in proper dog training and control.

I’d also introduce strict liability for harm caused by dogs (including fouling) with automatic very big fines and permanent bans on dog ownership.

This would all be on top of outright bans on certain types of dog.

So you don't speak to kids often then?

@crumblingschools for the same reason you own your dog? I guessing you like the breed that's why you went for it? I've had my dog from 8 weeks old and he's almost two now. He's the best boy and much better behaved and trained than my two cockerpoos.

There are still circumstances where it could have been legal, however it is less and less likely fortunately.

Here in Ireland we have a restricted dog list. 15 breeds and their crosses, which must be on a Lead and muzzled in public , you are also not allowed these dogs in council or ha Houses. They are quite strict on it as well. A girl I know in a new ha estate got one , was reported and was basically told get rid in two weeks or we will evict you.

Genuine question - why did you choose to own an XLbully? Whatever characteristics you sought, was there no other dog breed that had those characteristics?