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5th October 2023
08:05am BST
The owner of the 'world's biggest pitbull' has claimed that some of the dog's direct offspring are in the UK.
Marlon Greenan and his twelve-and-a-half stone dog - appropriately called Hulk - have become social media stars thanks to the pitbull's huge size, and have more than 1.1 million followers on Instagram.
Greenan is a protection dog trainer in New Hampshire, USA, and has said he 'knows' some of Hulk's grandchildren are in the UK along with maybe "one or two" direct offspring of the giant pitbull - despite the breed having been banned here for decades.
Back in 1991, pit bull terriers were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act after an increased number of fatal attacks in England and Wales by the breed in the previous 10 years.
In 2016, Hulk fathered a litter of eight puppies, which were each worth a staggering $100k (£81,700).
Speaking to the Sun, Greenan said: "I have a large fan base in the UK and people will message me saying we’ve seen such and such a dog, so I know that Hulk’s grandchildren are in the UK and maybe even one or two of his direct kids.
"I’ve never sent my dogs to the UK myself.
"There’s no way I would send a pit bull to a country where they are banned.
"But the bottom line is you can’t stop specific breeds getting into Britain because there will always be people who break the rules."
The dog owner claimed it's actually relatively easy for smugglers to move puppies and dogs across the pond from the US to the UK.
He continued: "It’s a lot easier than you would assume. It’s quite simple. The dog just comes with paperwork that says it’s something else other than a pitbull or XL.
"Breed-specific bans just don’t work. If people want to break the law and get these animals into the country then they will.
"A lot of people just want to get rich from dogs.
"The Government needs to take the money it will use to enforce the ban and use it to educate people on how to raise their dogs properly."
Government policy means that any dog entering the UK must be vaccinated, microchipped with a pet or health certificate.
Anyone trying to bring a banned breed of dog into the country could see the canine take away by authorities and destroyed.
Greenan also said that pit bulls were the "same dog" as the American bully "at their core."
He explained that both breeds were "bred for performance and derived from fighting dogs."
Last month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government would be banning the American XL Bully following a series of attacks this year by the breed.
Just this week, a 54-year-old in Sunderland died after he was attacked by a suspected XL Bully.
Dad-of-one Ian Langley was walking his Patterdale terrier puppy close to his home in Sunderland when he was attacked on Tuesday.
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 last month.
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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