Boxer defends his 'friendly' XL Bully and blames owners for 'nasty' behaviour

20 September 2023 , 10:28

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Mark Heffron, pictured with his pooch Tyson, says dog owners are to blame for 'nasty' behaviour (Image: Mark Heffron / SWNS)

A professional boxer has blasted American XL Bully owners for raising their dogs "to be nasty".

Mark Heffron, who himself has an XL Bully, pointed the finger at "horrible owners" following a spate of dog attacks across the UK recently. The 31-year-old boxer, a holder of British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles, describes his his two-year-old dog Tyson as a "big friendly giant" who "loves kids" and is "so laid back and chilled".

This breed, however, is on the brink of being banned in the UK by the end of the year', following the recent horrors, including the death of a man in Stonnall, Staffordshire. While current owners will not see their pets culled, they are likely to face new restrictions, including mandatory neutering of the dogs.

Heffron, who hails from Oldham, Greater Manchester, staunchly defended his 55kg pet Tyson. He argued that some XL Bully owners are "bringing them up to be nasty," a fate he believes could befall "any other dog."

Mark, who is a boxer, has defended his big XL Bully Tyson (Mark Heffron / SWNS)

Tyson, pictured with Poppy Heffron, is described as a 'big friendly giant' (Mark Heffron / SWNS)

Heffron stated: "I don't think it's the dogs, it's the owners that are bringing them up to be nasty, just like any other dog. If you bring it up to be nasty, it's going to be nasty. But with them being a big dog and these horrible owners who are bringing them up to be nasty, when they do bite it's a lot worse of a bite, isn't it?"

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Heffron paints a different picture of his own pet, describing Tyson as a "big friendly giant" who even obeys commands from his six-year-old daughter Poppy. He fondly said: "My XL Bully just wants to cuddle you all the time."

According to Mark, Tyson's favourite pastime is squeezing into the tiniest spaces on the couch for a cuddle. Tyson's gentle nature extends to children as well. "He's so laid back and chilled, he loves kids," Mark gushes. His obedience is also commendable, staying close by when off the leash and even responding to commands from Mark's little girl.

Mark's fiancée Rebecca, 29, echoes his sentiments, stating that she wouldn't let their dog around their daughter Poppy if she didn't trust Tyson. However, she expresses concern over the potential requirement for Tyson to wear a muzzle, fearing it might scare Poppy. "She absolutely adores him," Rebecca says, adding that muzzles can make dogs look intimidating.

Rebecca also raises concerns about the safety of Tyson wearing a muzzle, especially given his size which often intimidates other dogs. She recounts an incident where a smaller dog barked aggressively at Tyson during a walk, but Tyson remained calm and well-behaved. The couple, who also own a French Bulldog named Teddy, are now anxious about the future of Tyson if a proposed ban comes into effect.

The family owns two dogs, including French Bulldog Teddy (right) (Mark Heffron / SWNS)

Mark, a father of one, expressed his uncertainty and concern over the potential requirement for his dog to be neutered and muzzled. He stated: "I'm not 100 per cent sure yet, but what I'm hearing is you'd have to get it neutered, and when you're outside you have to walk them with a muzzle on."

He questioned the necessity of such measures, saying, "I can't understand why you'd have to walk him with a muzzle. Obviously if the dog's nasty then yeah you should be putting a muzzle on it anyway, but he doesn't bite, he's not nasty."

Rebecca, another concerned pet owner, suggested inviting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to 'spend some time with an XL Bully that's been brought up in a nice environment'. She voiced her worries about the psychological impact of muzzling their family pet, Tyson. She recounted an incident where two Labradors aggressively approached Tyson, stating: "Not that he did retaliate when that happened, he was scared to death, but if he did have a muzzle on I can only imagine how frightened he would feel."

Rebecca argued for equal treatment among all dogs, saying, "If my dog has to wear a muzzle and go on a lead, then every other dog should be on a lead also." She further added, "A dog should not be able to approach my dog if he's wearing a muzzle, because I don't see that as fair."

* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Izzy Hawksworth