14 April 2024 , 19:57
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A young girl was rushed to hospital after she was bitten by an XL Bully in a horror attack at home.
Police were called by the ambulance service at around 7.10pm on Saturday to a property in Falmouth, Cornwall. The unnamed youngster suffered "serious injuries" in the incident.
A statement from Devon & Cornwall Police read: "Police were called by the ambulance service at around 7.10pm on Saturday 13 April to a property in Lowenek Close, Falmouth. It was reported a child had been bitten by a dog, causing serious injuries.
"The girl was taken to Treliske Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Her next of kin attended hospital with her. Officers attended the scene and seized the dog, which is believed to be an XL Bully.
"An investigation remains ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident. Anyone with information which could help with enquiries is asked to contact police via our website or by calling 101 quoting log 827 of 13/4/24."
It is now a criminal offence to own an XL bully in England and Wales without an exemption certificate. Unregistered pets are now removed and owners face a criminal record and unlimited fines. More than 35,000 dogs are now registered.
The exemption certificate proves the dog had been neutered, is microchipped, and proves the owner has paid an application fee and holds liability insurance for their dog.
Seen as a status dog, XL bullies are hard-wired for strength and violence. Historically they were created to be a killing machine to fight other dogs in the ring. Believed to have been brought over from the US in 2014, police are said to have attempted to seize the dog but failed because it was different from the banned Pit Bull. The average dog weighs 60kg and they were genetically engineered through breeding with just one purpose in mind.