Another shocker! Woman mauled to death by two of her XL Bully dogs in East London home

A woman in her 50s waskilled by her two XL bully dogs at her home in Hornchurch, east London, underscoring the growing concern over the breed which has been linked to several violent incidents in the UK.

The incident occurred on Monday (May 20) afternoon, following which a police and emergency response team arrived at the location of the incident.

After receiving the reports of a dog attack ataround 1:12 pm fromthe scene on Cornwall Close,armed officers from the Metropolitan Police swiftly responded as paramedics as well as an air ambulance, attended the scene.

However, unfortunately, despite the efforts by medics from the London ambulance service, the woman was pronounced dead. The two registered XL bully dogs involved in the attack were safely contained in a room in the house and were subsequently seized by the police.

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“Due to the threat posed, armed officers attended. After assessing the situation, officers were able to safely seize two dogs," said a Metropolitan Police spokesman.

“These were registered XL bully dogs and prior to officers’ arrival had been contained inside a room in the house. They did not leave the house at any time during the incident."

The woman's family is being supported by officers as the community grapples withthetragedy.

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There has been a notable increase in reported attacks in recent years by the breed.

Previous cases

In a previous case, a mother and son were jailed after an eight-year-old boy was seriously injured in an attack by an XL bully dog.

The UK government responded to the surge in attacks by introducing strict regulations. As of February 1, it is illegal to own an XL bully in England and Wales without an exemption certificate.

Owners who applied for an exemption needed to purchase insurance.

In addition to this, they also have to microchip their dog and pay a £92.40 fee per animal.

Older dogs must be neutered by June 30. However, there is a relaxation for dogs under the age of one as they can be neutered by this year's end.

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Registered dogs must be muzzled when in public.

The strict decision to ban the breed followed a series of alarming incidents.

This included an attack in Birmingham in September last year where an 11-year-old girl sustained shoulder and arm injuries.

Another 52-year-old Ian Price in the West Midlands was also killed.

In November 2021, 10-year-old Jack Lis was mauled to death by an XL bully dog, leading to the owner's three-year imprisonment.

(With inputs from agencies)