Animals confiscated

Woman in London mauled to death by her own dogs

In London, a woman was killed by her two XL Bully dogs (the picture shows a specimen of this breed).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Artur)

A woman in London has been killed by her two XL Bully dogs. The incident occurred at the owner's home in Hornchurch in the north-east of the British capital, police said on Monday evening. No further details were initially given.

The woman, who was between 50 and 60 years old, died of her injuries on the spot. The animals, which were reportedly registered, were confiscated.Since February, the keeping of XL Bullies has only been permitted in England under strict conditions . 

The animals must be neutered and microchipped and must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public. This was preceded by a significant increase in dog attacks. According to the ONS statistics office, there were a total of 16 fatalities in 2023.

There have already been several incidents this year too. Last week, a 49-year-old woman and her 30-year-old son were sentenced to prison because their XL Bully attacked and seriously injured an eight-year-old boy. At the beginning of February, shortly after the ban came into force, a 68-year-old woman was fatally injured by a dog while visiting her grandson.

Mongrel that goes back to the pit bull terrier breed
According to the BBC, the so-called American XL Bully originated in the USA at the end of the 1980s from a cross between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The aim was to create an even more muscular dog. 

Owners face long prison sentence if attacked
According to the Bully Watch group, the crossbreed first appeared in the UK in 2014 or 2015. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of animals increased rapidly, they say. Dog owners face a prison sentence of up to 14 years if their animals attack.