London, UK

A one-year-old toddler was attacked by an XL bully breed dog outside a London hotel on Monday (Oct 2). The incident occurred near the Hilton Hotel on Catherine Grove in Greenwich, after which the boy was rushed to a hospital.

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An eyewitness described the dog as a 'large American bully type' and warned parents regarding this breed. 

"He (baby) was screaming and had a bite on the leg. The mother was beside herself," a neighbour was quoted as saying by the Sun.

London police on X said it had seized the dog, which will be transferred to kennels. The police also arrested a man suspected of being in charge of the ‘out of control’ dog.

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The statement from the police read, "The dog and its owner were located by officers. A man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. The dog has been seized and will be placed in kennels. We wish the victim all the best with his recovery, and our thoughts are with his family."

Condition of child

Local media reported that the condition of the child was stable. He is not believed to have sustained life-altering or life-threatening injuries.

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Emergency services promptly responded to the distress call and ensured the child received proper medical attention as soon as possible.

Controversy over XL bully breeds in the UK

Recently, the Rishi Sunak government announced to ban American XL bully breeds in the country by 2023 end, a decision met with nationwide protests. Some blame the owners, while others support the ban.

Watch: UK: American XL Bully Dogs to be banned; PM Sunak says, 'urgent need to ban this crossbreed'

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The ban was prompted by a series of dog attacks involving XL bully breeds, including a tragic incident on September 14 in Staffordshire. In this incident, 52-year-old Ian Price was fatally attacked while trying to protect his elderly mother.

Also read: No culling of American XL bully dogs, but new rules for owners in UK 

In the week leading up to Price's tragic incident, an 11-year-old schoolgirl was severely injured when attacked by an XL bully dog while walking through Birmingham. Furthermore, two men who attempted to intervene were also injured. 

In another incident, a 10-year-old boy was attacked by an out-of-control dog while playing football outside his home in Walsall.

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