Two women have been rushed to hospital after being attacked by a suspected American XL Bully inside a home in Staffordshire.
Police were called to reports of a dog behaving out of control at a home in Baker Crescent in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent on October 12.
Both women were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, and West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed they sent two ambulances and a paramedic to the address.
The patients were transported to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further treatment.
The Mirror reports local police confirmed the dog was seized at the scene and is now due to be humanely put down “following liaison with its owners”.
An investigation has now been launched into the attack.
A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said: “We were called to Baker Crescent following reports of a dog attack. The dog, believed at this time to be an XL Bully – attacked two women inside the address.
“They were taken to hospital by paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service. Officers contained the dog at the scene. Following liaison with its owners, it has since been ordered to be destroyed.”
Earlier this month, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the breed, American bully XL, is to be banned, calling the dogs a “danger to our communities”.
While many have welcomed the ban, some owners and animal groups said a breed-specific ban would not work.
The Prime Minister added: “It is clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs – it is a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
Mr Sunak said he was ordering work from police and experts to legally define the breed so it can then be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland.
Rishi Sunak’s announcement followed the death of a man, Ian Price, 52, who was injured by two dogs near Walsall and later died in hospital. The man had suffered after a 20-minute attack that ripped all his clothing from his body.
The XL is the largest type of the American bully breed and can weigh more than nine stone (60kg).
XL Bullies are a larger variant of the American Bully – a compact and muscular dog derived from the American Pit Bull Terrier and English bulldogs – and can grow up to 20 inches tall and have a distinctive broad head.
NHS data reveals in 2007-2008 there were 4,699 admissions to hospital in England because of dog bites (all breeds), compared with 8,933 in 2019-2020.
There are currently four dog breeds that are banned in the UK: Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiros.
