UK to ban American XL Bully dogs after deadly attacks

A father suffered horrific injuries when he was mauled by a breed of dog the UK has decided is too dangerous for people to own.

Ian Price’s final moments were captured in a horrifying video as the father of two tried to fight off two attacking dogs.

The mauling at Staffordshire left Mr Price with wounds so severe he died after an emergency flight to hospital.

Footage of the 52-year-old’s ordeal later circulated online — and with it, the terrified screams of neighbours who tried in vain to help Mr Price.

The vicious assault, by two “XL Bully” dogs, occurred not far from his home and reignited the debate in Britain about banning dangerous breeds.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded by announcing the breed would be added to a list of four dogs already banished in the UK by the end of the year.

American Bully XL dog’s are about to be banned in the UK.

Mr Price’s tragic death is one of a series of deadly incidents involving XL Bullys in the UK.

An 11-year old Birmingham girl survived an attack with serious shoulder and arm injuries just days after Mr Price was killed.

Within days of both attacks a defender of the breed, Wolverhampton man Ben Cźyżyk, was mauled in XL Bully attack that left him with facial and leg injuries.

In April, a 65-year-old grandmother was killed when she tried to break up a fight between two American bullies in Liverpool.

A 17-month-old died last year in her own home just days after the XL Bully was bought home, and a 10-year-old Welsh boy died in 2021 from sever neck and head injuries, again involving the sane breed.

“The American XL bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,” Mr Sunak said.

Ian Price, 52, died after suffering multiple injuries in the attack by two suspected American bully XLs.Supplied

Ben Czyzyk who was set upon by two dogs. Picture: Facebook

“I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen.

“It (the XL Bully) is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast. It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”

Mr Sunak has ordered ministers to work with the Home Office and police to outlaw the breed – the first time such action has been taken since 1991, when the Dangerous Dogs Act came into force.

Mr Sunak said the ban was to keep the public safe from a “dangerous” type of dog.

The XL Bully has not been without controversy since it was introduced to the UK about 10 years ago.

It’s thought to be bred from dogs including the American Pitbull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terriers, which were among the breeds banned when the Dangerous Dogs Act was first introduced.

XL Bully’s were bred from the American staffordshire terrier.

The result of the breeding has been a much more muscular, and dangerous dog.

The largest variant of the American bully breed, the XL, is strong enough to overpower an adult and can weigh up to 60kg.

UK campaign group Bully Watch, said XL numbers began growing rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic. At least 341 out of 841 dog attacks it recorded in 2023 were by American Bully breeds.

It’s reputation is quite different across the Atlantic in the United States. The United Kennel Club described an American Bully as a dog that would “makes an excellent family dog” with a “gentle and friendly” demeanour, although it noted it had a “powerful appearance” and that a level of aggression was “characteristic of this breed”.

Supporters of the XL Bully dog breed are unhappy with Rishi Sunak’s plans to ban the dog. Picture: AFP

Still, it said aggression towards humans was rare.

The proposed ban is already having an impact as owners get rid of their dogs before the law changes.

One shelter in Kent, in southeastern England, said it had turned back 25 owners who wanted to leave their XL Bully dogs there. Owners told shelter staff they would put the dogs down if there was no space available for them.

Supporters of the XL Bully dog breed hold placards during a protest against the UK Government's plans. Picture: AFP

“Over the last week, I have turned down 25 dogs and that’s just me. My co-ordinator also gets contacted by specific rescues as well. It’s just nuts,” a volunteer at the Large Breed Dog Rescue told the Kent Online.

She revealed a common complaint from owners was they had bought the wrong dog breeds during lockdowns and the animals were now teenagers and untrained – and were becoming violent.

A rival campaign group to Bully Watch, Save Our Seized Dogs, insisted the ban would do more harm than good. Save our Seized Dogs member Jayne Dendle said some dog owners “don’t care” about the fate of their dogs and would simply dump them, potentially leaving stray dogs roaming.

They have some support from experts who point to other breeds being responsible for fatal attacks throughout the UK which suggests aggression can be found in other breeds not yet facing bans.

Professor of veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Lincoln Daniel Mills told The Guardian claims certain breeds were more dangerous than others was “an oversimplification, it is headline grabbing, and it is unhelpful”.

This was mainly due to the variations within a breed

But Dr Mills, who has led research into dog behaviour, said that didn’t mean genetics didn’t contribute to whether a dog was unsafe or not, but breed alone was often a poor predictor of aggressive behaviour.

Originally published as UK to ban American XL Bully dogs after deadly attacks