Man dies after attack by American bully XL as murder investigation launched

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder

Northumbria Police said the incident happened in Shiney Row, near Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, on Tuesday.

Officers received a report that a dog had injured a man outside an address in Maple Terrace shortly before 7pm.

Police on Wednesday said the 54-year-old victim had died.

A 44-year-old man, held on suspicion of wounding with intent, has been re-arrested on suspicion of murder, the force said.

The dog was destroyed at the scene and a second dog was also seized.

Police said they believed both animals were bully XL breeds.

Detective chief inspector Angela Hudson, of Northumbria Police, said there was no wider threat to the public and those involved were "known to each other".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last month that the breed would be banned by the end of the year after a fatal attack in the West Midlands and the mauling of an 11-year-old in Birmingham.

Six of the 10 fatal dog attacks in the UK last year were linked to XL bullies, and at least three of the seven this year, The Guardian reported on 16 September.

BullyWatch.com, a group that wants to ban the breeding and selling of American bully XL dogs in the UK, claims 11 people have been killed by the breed since 2021. It further suggested there has been 351 documented attacks by large Bully breeds this year alone.

Under government proposals to ban the Bully, owners of the breed will not see their dogs put down, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, explained last month.

There will be an “amnesty”, where owners will have to register their dogs and take actions including using a muzzle in public.

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