The ban on XL Bully dogs still doesn’t go far enough

On Monday, a woman was mauled to death in London by her own two ‘exempted’ XL Bully dogs. By the time armed police and paramedics arrived at the shocking scene at her home in Hornchurch she was reportedly already dead. Her two sons had found her lying in the hallway and tried CPR but it was too late. Angeline Mahal, who was in her 50s, is the second person killed by XL Bully dogs since the ban on owning the breed without an exemption certificate was introduced in February. The first was Esther Martin, 68, who was killed by XLs belonging to her late daughter’s partner in Essex on 3 February, two days after the ban came in. 

It is believed that Mahal had valid exemption certificates for both her dogs, meaning they were neutered, microchipped and would have been muzzled when she took them out in public, and therefore owned them legally.  

The government was undoubtedly right to introduce its ban on the XL Bully breed though it met with fierce opposition from charities, XL owners and campaigners opposed to breed-specific legislation (BSL) on the grounds they believe it also targets innocent dogs.