Moment XL Bully launches attack which would've 'almost definitely' led to death

This is the shocking moment an XL Bully launched a vicious attack that would have "almost certainly" led to death.

A mum from south-west London said her dog would have been killed by a suspected XL Bully had she not intervened when it was bitten. Emma Rogers said the dog, which the Met Police also believed was an XL Bully, lunged at her and her cockapoo as they were out walking past a fishmongers in Twickenham High Street, in London, at about 6pm on September 1.

Ms Rogers said she reported the incident to police but they were not able to identify the owner. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said an emergency response team was sent to the scene to learn what happened.

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"The case was assigned to a neighbourhood officer for further investigation who has made contact with the victim," they said. "The suspect dog and its owner made off before police arrival. Enquiries are ongoing about what breed the dog was."

The UK government made it illegal to breed, sell, gift, advertise, or have XL Bully dogs in public without being made to wear a muzzle and lead in England and Wales from December 31, 2023. It was enforced after there were nearly 11,000 hospital admissions for dog bites in England in 2023-24, according to NHS England.

The Office for National Statistics said there were seven deaths caused by dog attacks in England and Wales in that time period. It did add this could be an underestimate due to registration delays.

The figures did not break down the types of dogs that were involved in the attacks or deaths. The previous government said it would bring in the ban on XL Bully dogs as the breed had been "disproportionately involved" in the deaths that were recorded since 2021.

Last month an air ambulance pilot was hailed a hero for shooting dead an XL Bully. Captain Jon Earp borrowed a farmer's shotgun to fire at the dangerous animal during an attack and a judge has now praised the pilot for his bravery, saying it saved a person's life.

The attack happened after a landlord arrived at a property to collect rent from his tenants in Gwynedd, Wales.

When the landlord sounded his car horn the tenant's dog became aggressive and attacked him as well as the dog's owner and her husband.