A pet owner says she is “terrified” to walk her pets after her dog was attacked by an XL bully dog at a park in Nelson.
She is now appealing for more information about the dog’s owner, and added the owners are to blame for the attack, not the breed of dog.
Natalie Hirst was walking her American bulldog/Staffordshire bull terrier cross, Kobi, around Walverden Park on Monday night (October 16).
She says a white XL bully “jumped through the bushes” and latched onto Kobi’s face in an attack she says lasted around 10 minutes.
Natalie said: “Before I knew it this really large, white, XL bully jumped through the bushes and went for my dog.
“It gripped him by the neck and just wouldn’t let go. I was just screaming, asking the woman who owned the dog to help.
“She didn’t rush to help. She slowly walked over and tried to get the dog off.
“The dog was attached to my dog’s face for a good 10 minutes and it was so hard to pull them apart.
“It had him pinned to the floor at one point.
“When we managed to separate them she still didn’t have a lead for the dog.”
Natalie, whose had was injured while trying to separate the dogs, said Kobi was covered in blood and the attack left him with puncture wounds on his face.
“It was absolutely horrific and there was a lot of blood,” Natalie.
“Thankfully when I cleaned him up there was not as much damage as I thought there would be.
"There were a few puncture wounds. I thought his lips would have been shredded open.”
Natalie said a child or smaller dog could have been seriously injured by the dog.
She said: “If that would have been a child or smaller dog it would have been ripped to shreds.
"It was absolutely horrific and would not let go. Its jaws locked onto his face.”
Natalie said the experience has left her feeling “terrified” about walking her dogs.
She said: “Walverden Park is my go-to place to walk my dog. It has made me terrified to walk my dogs and I shouldn’t have to live like that.
“I can tell Kobi is concerned too. He’s very wary and his personality so different today.
“He is such a gentle and happy dog.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to ban American XL bully dogs by the end of the year after a spike in dog attacks featuring the controversial breed.
Mr Sunak made the promise after it emerged a man has died after being attacked by two dogs – suspected to be bully XLs – in Staffordshire and following a video of another incident that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries in Birmingham.
Natalie does not agree with the “bad reputation” that XL bully dogs are getting. She says she does not blame the dog for attacking Kobi and thinks the owners are entirely to blame.
She added: “I have friends with XL bullies and they are lovely natured when brought up right. They don’t deserve the bad reputation they have.
“People should need a licence to get a dog. Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to have pets.”
Anyone who witnessed the attack or has information relating to it is asked to call Lancashire Police on 101 quoting log reference: LC-20231017-1010.
Information can also be submitted via the Lancashire Police website, or contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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