An 84-year-old man in the UK has died of his injuries over a month after being attacked by an XL bully dog. According to the BBC, the incident happened on February 24 while he was walking home in Warrington. Cheshire Police reported that the victim suffered serious injuries and died at the hospital on Sunday. The authorities are providing support to his family through specialist officers.
In connection with the incident, 30-year-old Sean Garner from Liverpool has been charged with owning a dangerously out-of-control dog, causing serious injury, and possessing a fighting dog. The XL bully dog was shot and killed by armed officers after the attack.
Detective Inspector Simon Mills said, “This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this difficult time. The victim has fought so hard since the attack, but sadly his injuries were too much, and despite the best efforts of the specialist medical teams who have supported him since the attack, he has now passed away.
To endure such pain and anguish at the hands of an animal is unimaginable, and I cannot begin to comprehend the distress that his family are currently suffering following such a horrific incident. Nobody should have to go through what they have experienced, and our specialist officers are providing them with the support they need at this truly awful time.”
“This was an innocent man who was simply walking in the street when he was horrifically attacked by a suspected unregistered XL Bully. These dogs are like weapons; their physical attributes can make it like owning a loaded firearm with a questionable safety catch,” Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts said.
The XL Bully, also known as the Extra Large Bully, is a domestic dog breed that originated in the 1990s in the United States. It is a crossbreed between the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and other bulldog breeds.
Following a series of fatal dog attacks involving XL Bullies, which resulted in 23 deaths over three years in the UK, the breed was banned in 2023. As a result, strict regulations were put in place, mandating that XL Bullies be kept on a lead and muzzled at all times in public. Additionally, it is now illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL bully dogs stray.
