Mum with 'perfect' XL Bully dog defends breed despite spate of attacks
A mother who owns "the perfect" XL Bully has defended the breed following recent fatal attacks.
Georgia Charlton, 24, had no hesitation to get pooch Boris when her youngest child, Kolby, was just three months old. Since then, she says Boris has always been a "placid" dog and wouldn't even know how to bite.
But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month announced American XL Bullies will be banned by the end of the year after a string of attacks across the country. In a win for the Mirror's campaign, he said the government is "urgently working to stop these attacks".
Georgia Charlton's children Jayce, five, Elsie-Vera, four, and Kolby, two, are pictured with Boris (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)Georgia, though, said the owners should purely be held responsible if any attacks happen. The mum of three told Chronicle Live: "At the moment, it's the craze of the XL Bullies, as they are the most popular dog. I think the people buying the XL Bully dogs are the wrong people. They are people that use the dog as protection, as a weapon. Some of them are obviously getting mistreated. I don't blame the dog, it's the owners fault. They should be protecting the dog and looking after the dog."
Her opinion is backed by many vets, including Dr Emma Chandley, of a practice in Cheshire, who told Mirror this week shameless owners are attracted to how much damage XL Bullies can do - even if it costs the lives of innocent people.
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When Ian Langley, 54, died last week after being attacked by what is believed to be an XL Bully as he walked his terrier in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Georgia felt "heartbroken for the family". She added: "I felt sick when I heard about the attack last week. It was absolutely awful, horrible. I felt heartbroken for the family. I cried when I saw it. I just felt so sorry for the man's family and the man. He would have went through a lot of pain."
A dog was destroyed at the scene and a second dog, also believed to be an XL Bully, was seized. A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Ian's death and released on bail.
Georgia says Boris is a calm dog and wouldn't know how to bite a human (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)Georgia said she got Boris when he was an eight-week-old puppy and he has never shown any signs of aggression. She said he was well behaved and always wanted to lie with her youngest son, who was a young baby at the time.
She said: "He's been the perfect dog. People say that they're hyper when they are puppies but Boris has never chewed and he's never misbehaved. He's so placid and lovely, he doesn't bark and he wouldn't even know how to bite. He won't even play fight with you.
"He's never shown any aggression. He's never once tried to be aggressive towards any animal or any person. He's just so calm, he just wants to sleep all the time, he's the laziest dog ever. He's such a popular dog on this estate, everyone loves him.
"Everybody who has been in the house - family, friends, strangers, health visitors, professionals - just absolutely loves Boris. He's so popular it's embarrassing. He just wants attention off everyone. I had a three-month-old baby when I got Boris. He used to try and lie on the bean bag with the baby.
"The baby will run around with the dog's lead in his hand and the dog will just follow him as if to say 'give me my lead back'. He won't try and take it off him. He sits on his back and rides him like a horse. They are best friends and they love each other."
Last weekend, dog owners gathered in Newcastle city centre to protest against the Government ban. And, in Birmingham, XL Bully owners gathered for a mass dog walk to show their displeasure at Mr Sunak's call. Georgia, of Tyne and Wear, is now unsure what will happen to Boris.
She said: "I was heartbroken because he doesn't need to be muzzled when he's out on a walk, he's a well behaved, loving dog. There's a few XL Bullies on this estate and they are absolutely beautiful, the most loveliest dogs. We don't know what's going to happen. We are worrying - will he be taken off us? I don't know what will actually happen but I know I won't let them take my dog. I would literally hide him until the very end.
"If a dog is taken away from the owner then they could possibly turn. I don't think they would turn aggressive but I think they would be absolutely petrified. I think dogs should stay with their owners.
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"If dogs are brought up in a house with children, you let the dog have full roam of the house and treat them like your own child the dog is going to treat you with respect, have respect for others and be loving. If you keep it outside in a shed and use it as a weapon that dog is then going to be a weapon literally, it's so unfair. People like that just shouldn't have dogs at all."
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