‘My dog’s no killer!’ Dozens of XL Bully owners urge Rishi Sunak to ‘re-think’ ban of controversial breed during park protest after spate of attacks left father, 52, dead and little girl, 7, injured
Dozens of XL Bully owners added their voice today against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plans to ban the breed following a spate of horror attacks, with one young woman insisting: ‘My dog’s no killer – he’s as sweet as an angel!’
A large group descended at a park in Leicester for an angry protest in a bid to help overturn the PM’s proposal to outlaw the controversial Bully breed.
It was a spearheaded by mother-of-three Hannah Smith, 27, who said: ‘The government has got this so wrong and must have a re-think!
‘The majorly of Bully owners are responsible people and it is ridiculous this breed could be banned because of the irresponsibility of just a few.
‘They are a lovely breed but in the wrong hands, yes they can be dangerous and attack.’
Dozens of XL Bully owners added their voice today in Leicester against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ‘s plans to ban the breed following a spate of horror attacks. Pictured are Abby Park Aaron Singh, 34, owner of Just Raw, raw dig food shop Brother Deljit Singh, 22 with there family
Protesters Isobel Wittington, 22 (left) and Evie, 18 (right) joined others at a park in Leicester for an angry protest
The protest was in a bid to help overturn the PM’s proposal to outlaw the controversial Bully breed
Isobel Wittington, 22, whose beloved two-year-old Bully XL Dexter has been with the family since a puppy, said: ‘He’s so cute and as sweet as an angel. My dog’s no killer!
‘There are bad owners but banning the breed will not stop attacks.’
The incensed owners met at historic Abbey Park on the outskirts of Leicester but left their pets at home as Miss Smith explained: ‘It is about our voice and not their bark.’
They later marched into the city centre, congregating at the Clock Tower – a small police presence in attendance at both locations.
The protest, following a similar one in London last month, comes after a spate of Bully XL attacks on children and adults across the country.
The powerful beasts are set to be banned by the end of the year following the recent mauling to death of father-of-two Ian Price from Staffordshire, who was killed by two Bullies after they jumped out of a neighbour’s window.
READ MORE: Horrifying moment ‘XL Bully’ savagely mauls family’s cat named Kiwi to death – as heartbroken owner says she fears it could have been one of her children
Just last week Ian Langley was fatally mauled by a Bully in Sunderland and a toddler nearly lost his leg in a brutal attack in Greenwich, South East London.
A majority of Brits – nine out of 10 – say Bully dogs should be banned.
But owners out in force in The Midlands city strongly disagree.
Many of the protesters – including young children – walked with banners promoting their cause, chanting ‘Save our Bullies’ and ‘Muzzle Rishi not our dogs.’
Others stated: ‘Don’t ban me, licence me’ and ‘Stop bullying our best friends’.
Any ban will include an amnesty for existing owners providing their pets are registered, neutered and muzzled when in public.
Owners feared their animals would be put down but this will not be the case.
Miss Smith from Wigston, Leicestershire, believes the ban is a heavy-handed approach and more could be done to ensure backyard breeders and the ‘wrong people don’t get their hands on the dogs.
Speaking to MailOnline as she led a protest march around Abbey Park, she said: ‘Rishi Sunak is not hearing our arguments defending the dog breed and is just going straight to the final option of banning them.
‘Most owners are very responsible and he is actively working against us. I can’t imagine he knows anything about the breed.’
Miss Smith, who has a Bully called Kobe, and three children aged six, five and four, added:.If a Bully isn’t properly trained, that’s when you start to get problems but that can be true for any breed, not just this one.
It was a spearheaded by mother-of-three Hannah Smith (pictured), 27, who said: ‘The government has got this so wrong and must have a re-think!’
Many of the protesters – including young children – walked with banners promoting their cause, chanting ‘Save our Bullies’ and ‘Muzzle Rishi not our dogs.’
The protest, following a similar one in London last month, comes after a spate of Bully XL attacks on children and adults across the country
‘XL Bullies are companion dogs. Kobe is such a chilled out lazy couch potato who just likes to sleep on the sofa and get cuddles. I have no worries or concerns about him being around my kids or anyone else. He’s not once snarled.
‘My six year old son Logan, out here today is even defending the breed, because if doesn’t want Kobe to go anywhere and loves him.
‘The fatal attacks and others have been awful but banning Bullies will not stop attacks in future. Those dogs have been in the wrong hands.’
She continued: ‘The protest is because the Government should be tackling backyard breeder not penalising responsible owners who care for their dog’s property and live them to bits.’
‘You can’t have a rule for one dog breed which can harm people and not the others. That’s unfair.
READ MORE: Nine out of 10 say XL Bully dogs should be banned as toddler nearly loses his leg and 54-year-old is killed in latest attacks
She added: ‘We’re not looking to cause trouble, we’re just walking from Abbey Park to the Clock Tower without our dogs. We don’t want to give off the wrong impression, we want people to approach us and talk with us about the breed.’
Ms Wittington, protesting with her mum and three sisters, admitted: ‘There are some bad and inexperienced owners out there and that’s when attacks can happen but they are in the minority.
‘But is is wrong to ban the whole breed so we are standing up against these ridiculous plans.’
Her mum Faith Wittington a social care commissioner, said: ‘What a beautiful park. It would have been a lovely place to have brought our dogs. But it not the time or place for dogs now.
‘We have to save our Bullies. We don’t want them to be banned. It will not work. They are not an aggressive breed.’
Mrs Wittington, 49, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, said: ‘We want owners and breeders to be registered and licensed. These regulation must be put in place.’
Another daughter Uni student Evie Wittington, 18, said it would be ‘a shame’ for the dogs to be muzzled in public, saying: ‘They want to run around playing and catching sticks in their mouths. It’s a shame they will lose their freedom.’
Eleven-year-old Joel Cannam, among their group, said: ‘It is wrong to ban the whole Bully breed because of a few bad apples.’
Pub worker Megan Pryor, 26, fumed: ‘Thus ban is ridiculous. There are some bad owners but the majority are good. Fatal attacks are very traumatising for people involved and the public but in some of these instances the dogs are not Bully XL but cross bred.
Aaron Singh, whose extended family owns eight Bully XL’s, described the ban as ‘nonsense.’
A majority of Brits – nine out of 10 – say Bully dogs should be banned. But owners out in force in The Midlands city strongly disagree
Though the bully XL is the most common, the dogs can also be bred with mastiffs and other larger dogs to make them bigger, XXL or even XXXL
He said: ‘We have eight children and eight Bullies and never have a problem with the dogs because they are properly looked after and trained.
‘The youngest child is just one and he loves the dogs and feels totally safe around them. They are not dangerous.’
Mr Singh, 34, from Leicester, who owns Just Raw, a raw dog food shop, said: ‘The Government must thing again about what is it doing.’
His brother Deljit Singh, 22, added: ‘Our dogs are lovely family pets. They each cost between £5,000 to £10,000 and we look after them properly, as most other owners do.
‘The breed should not be banned because of some bad dogs and owners. What about all those paedophiles and murderers out there – the human race is not banned!
‘Our dogs are completely safe, they are not dangerous.’
American bullies are a relatively new breed, having originated in the 1980s. They are mixed breed bulldogs, typically American pitbull terriers crossed with American, English and Olde English bulldogs.
Though the bully XL is the most common, the dogs can also be bred with mastiffs and other larger dogs to make them bigger, XXL or even XXXL.
Despite their relative popularity in the UK, they are not officially registered as a breed by the UK Kennel Club, making it difficult to know exactly how many are in the country.
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