24 September 2023 , 17:54
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A campaigner fighting to save XL Bullies from being outlawed has been attacked by one of the very dogs he is fighting to save - but insists irresponsible owners are to blame.
Ben Cźyżyk shared images of his injuries was mauled by a dog, claiming its owner set it upon him in Wolverhampton earlier this week. The savage attack, which left Mr Cźyżyk with horrendous facial and leg injuries, came days after he spoke out in defence of the breed, saying it was time to "quit blaming the wrong side of the lead".
Married dad-of-three Ben was walking through the Tettenhall area of the city with family on Friday night when he came across "a very vicious dog owner" who he claims set the animal on him. The 38-year-old was treated in hospital for his injuries.
He joins hundreds of others who have come out in defence of XL Bullies after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced earlier this month that the wheels were in motion to make them the fifth banned dog breed in the UK. The drastic move followed a spate of violent attacks connected to the breed, including the fatal mauling of Ian Price in Staffordshire.
Mr Cźyżyk shared images of his injuries (ben.czyzyk.9/Facebook)
West Midlands Police are now investigating the attack (ben.czyzyk.9/Facebook)Many like Ben, however, have hit back at the proposals, claiming responsibility for attacks instead lies with owners and that other measures such as dog licences should be considered. Posting on Facebook, Ben wrote: "On Friday night I was out and about enjoying my evening when I came across a very vicious dog owner.
Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams
"When asked to put his dog on a lead he proceeded to tell his dog to attack which he also did. I think I got a couple of defensive shots in but I was no match for a xl bully and his vicious owner."
Urging others to spread the word about "irresponsible dog owners", Ben added: "Thank you to all the hospital staff who helped me and everyone that has called and sent messages I will get back to as soon as I can see properly." West Midlands Police confirmed the attack, which happened at about 11pm, was being investigated.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "We understand the victim was knocked to the ground and kicked by a man who had a dog on a lead which also bit the victim. Officers attended and found the man in his 30s with injuries to his face and leg.
Days earlier Ben had shared a post against the proposed law to ban XL Bullies (ben.czyzyk.9/Facebook)
His injuries thankfully were non life-threatening (ben.czyzyk.9/Facebook)"Thankfully they are not believed to be life-changing. He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital for further checks. We are continuing with house-to-house enquiries and reviewing CCTV and doorbell footage from the area as part of our on-going investigation."
The force has already prepared for public backlash to Mr Sunak's announcement after Bully owners organised a march in the Handsworth area of Birmingham to highlight how "gentle" the breed can be. The PM called the breed "a danger to our communities" when he spoke out last week, vowing they would be banned by the end of the year.
As well as Mr Price's death, an 11-year-old girl was also attacked by suspect XL Bullies at a carwash in the city earlier this month. Mr Sunak said: "It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs. It's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on."
Jake Harris, 21, who organised the Birmingham protest, told the BBC he had encouraged owners to bring their Bullies along before backtracking over public fury. He said: "The simple fact is I don't want no camera taking pictures of a dog that's barking to go play with another dog because social media has this power to do numbers - they can portray this whole meet off one picture.
"So if you want to come and you want to bring a dog, bring a puppy. Don't bring no big, full-grown dog. It's not going to be one of them actual meets, it's turned into more of a protest."