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Just look at the people on social media defending the dogs/attacks and that will tell you all you need to know.
Horrible monsters. One literally ran at me from across the field a few months back, and if it wasn't for me being nimble and able to jump a wall, I would have been attacked. The thing was absolutely mental and the owner had no control.
If I was with my daughter at the time I dread to think what could have happened. Disgusting freaks of nature, those dogs are. Actually, not even nature. Man made freaks.
Edit: before anyone says otherwise, I'm a dog owner (collies my whole life, although I only have a westie right now). I know dogs, I have trained dogs. These XL things are dangerous and terrifying when they are poised to attack you. And when they do, you will not be able to fight back.
I think this guy from the article has the best take:
Marsden has handled dogs since the age of seven, and following a long career as a stockman in agriculture, has spent most of his life around working dogs, training collies, lurchers and greyhounds. “I think there is a growing problem now with owners not taking responsibility for their dog’s actions,” he says.
“Not everyone understands how to train them properly.”
He says there have been similar concerns about potentially dangerous breeds over the years, such as rottweilers and dobermans, and that banning a breed may only shift attention on to a new one. “You take these off people and the likelihood is they’ll just move on to something else.”
What’s the alternative? “We need to look at getting more licensed breeding, so there is more oversight into where these puppies are coming from ... People are bringing dogs in from other countries where regulations aren’t the same as they are in the UK.”
The numbers look bad:
In 2021, there were four fatal dog attacks, two of which involved a bully XL. In 2022, there were 10 fatal attacks and six of them involved a bully XL. These huge animals, which can weigh more than 60kg (almost nine and half stone) were also involved in at least two of the five deaths recorded this year.
...
Given that there are an estimated 13m pet dogs in Britain, and only a few thousand American bully XLs, there have been calls to ban what looks like an uncontrollable breed.
I'm sure the owners quoted are able to give them all the training and exercise they need but clearly some aren't or can't or just get caught off-guard and, given the size of them, once they go at you, you're in trouble.
I didn't even grasp the 60kg part to begin with. I'm 62kg for fucks sake, really puts it into perspective.
Oh yeah and that's solid muscle with a low ground clearance - once they start moving, good luck holding them back.
Hmm, probably need to kill all of these. Humanely, but you know. Dead.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
His daughter-in-law, who was upstairs getting ready to go out, suddenly heard Jones shout: “He’s got me!” She rushed downstairs to find him lying in a pool of blood.
In May, Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed after suffering bite wounds to his arm, leg and head while he was looking after his friend’s bully XL in Greater Manchester.
In recent years, the club has struggled to find venues to host events, with councils intervening or businesses pulling out due to the breed’s worsening reputation.
Conservative MP Sir John Hayes has been particularly vocal on the issue, saying in the House of Commons in June: “We need an urgent statement from the government, not to debate this matter but simply to confirm that this bad breed, bred to kill, should be banned.”
“It’s going to be skewed because if you get bitten by a sausage dog or a chihuahua, you’re probably not going to post about it,” says a spokesperson for the group, asking not to give their name due to concerns about backlash from bully breeders.
One of the reasons Daren was first attracted to the bully XL was the money to be made from breeding them – with some dogs fetching up to £10,000 – but he says the market has become diluted and pedigrees have not been maintained.
I'm a bot and I'm open source!
I love dogs of all breeds and sizes and I'm sure most of the time these are fine to be around. But this breed literally only exists to circumvent the exists banned breeds laws so I don't understand why the list can't be updated to include them.
Saw one of these on the train recently, sprawled out in the ground. As big as a person; I thought someone had fallen over and was about to offer help.
They should be banned and confiscated. By armed police if necessary.
We also need stronger restrictions on dog ownership more generally.
Dog breeding needs to be better regulated across the board. There are too many breeds that shouldn't exist simply because they are in pain from birth. Deformed, disabled, with genetic faults that leave them to horrendous and painful deaths way beyond their years, yet people are fine with intentionally breeding them because 'lol, so cute!'.
Before these guys, there was Staffies being heralded as demon dogs. Before that, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Alsatians... So I'm not jumping on the hate train, simply because I don't know enough.
Just like torture breeding shouldn't exist neither should irresponsible (backyard) breeding, - when you just go for looks over temperament and health this is the kinda shit you end up with.