A seven-year-old boy has suffered serious injuries which required surgery after being mauled by an XL Bully in South Yorkshire.
Police were called at around 8pm on Monday, 4 August, after the family dog attacked the child in the kitchen, causing injuries to his neck.
The XL bully, which had been registered, has since been seized by South Yorkshire Police.
It was one of 15 calls the police received that evening requesting assistance for emergency dog bites, or alerting the force to a dangerously out of control dog.
In another incident, a nine-year-old boy was mauled by their family dog, a Shih Tzu, at a house in Doncaster and suffered injuries to his ear.
In a warning to parents, South Yorkshire Police said: “We understand the joy that pets bring to a home, and a child’s life, but as the school holidays are underway and children are spending more time at home and visiting friends, family and local parks, we are continuing to urge parents and owners to act.
“Any dog of any breed can bite and cause harm or fear. It is important that you understand your dog, it’s behaviour and ensure it has a safe space where it can be alone.”
At the end of December 2023, it became illegal to breed, exchange or advertise an XL bully dog. A month later, it became a criminal offence to own the breed without an exemption certificate.
The offence falls under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, where dogs can also be seized and euthanised for being “dangerously out of control”.
A Freedom of Information request by Radar shows 3,464 suspected XL bullies were seized in 2024.
They accounted for about half of the total 7,004 suspected banned or dangerous dogs seized by the 36 police forces that provided data.
Of the 33 forces with full data on euthanasia, 2,409 banned or dangerous dogs were put down last year, with XL bullies accounting for 1,275 (53 per cent) of them.
