The UK has been plagued by a terrifying spate of XL Bully attacks in recent months, with a man in his 50s killed by an "out of control" XL Bully in Sunderland. A murder probe has been launched after neighbours told how paramedics fought to save the life of the man following the traumatic attack in Shiney Row at around 6.55pm yesterday. A woman found him on a field near Maple Terrace and shouted at the first police officer to arrive: "Please help me! His throat is hanging out."
Police have since arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of murder, while the dog was "destroyed at the scene to ensure the safety of the public". In recent years, extreme dog breeding has become big business and profit-driven breeders are continuing to put their wealth over animal welfare in order to cash in - with dealers earning up to £250k salaries. Devastatingly, this often means mating and selling untrained crossbreeds that have the power to kill. They are trained on treadmills and left alone in dark rooms in a bid to turn them into violent status symbols.
When not looked after properly, these poorly bred yet powerful dogs can attack other pets and people, as we've increasingly seen in recent times. Of the 10 fatal dog attacks in the UK last year, more than half of them involved the controversial American XL bully. It seems a cult has formed around bull breeds online, with an increasingly close relationship highlighted between organised crime and dog dealing. Careless and uneducated dealers are breeding dangerous dogs, and little is being done about it.
With American XL bullies making headlines after another viciously attacked an 11-year-old girl last month, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman pushing for an urgent ban on what looks like an uncontrollable breed, the Mirror takes a look into the depraved and dark world of dangerous backyard breeders...
The popularity of bully-type breeds has surged in recent years and attracted a new wave of sellers that lack knowledge and care (stock photo) (Shutterstock / BAUER Alexandre)Criminal gangs cashing in
Last year, a Mirror investigation found that new dog dealers were being encouraged to make "monsters" out of powerful dogs to earn up to £250,000. The RSPCA said it had seen animals kept in "medieval" conditions, with "breeding bitches kept in darkness or living in their own faeces" by money-grabbing breeders, making hundreds and thousands of pounds.
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The dog breeding craze, which erupted during the pandemic, has caused the "perfect storm for dog bites". It prompted the arrival of pet 'fertility clinics', offering training on how to become a DIY breeder at home; and dog semen was found being posted with artificial insemination (AI) kits sent by post. Illegal ear cropping was also discovered being offered by crooks online, specifically to give XL bullies the American 'look'.
A gang from Stoke-on-Trent was jailed in 2022 after puppies were found in a semi-comatose state after cropping their ears. RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen said at the time: "Ear cropping has absolutely no positive effect on the dog themself and is done purely for cosmetic reasons because someone wants a specific 'tough' look for their dog. Sadly, it's a trend that, despite being illegal, seems to be growing in popularity."
Ian Briggs, from the RSPCA's special operations unit, previously spoke out about the so-called cottage breeders "churning out puppy after puppy after puppy and charging thousands with it with no real knowledge". He explained: "There are criminal gangs involved - certainly around the Bully XL market - that have obviously seen a way of coining in a huge amount of cash. They are operating outside the licensing rules.
The RSPCA has found breeding bitches kept in darkness and living in their own faeces by money-grabbing dealers (stock photo) (Shutterstock / Wirestock Creators)
Backstreet breeders are advertising these dogs as 'monsters' and say marketing is very important for increasing sales (stock photo) (Shutterstock / Wirestock Creators)"If you are looking at between £2,000 to £5,000 for a puppy and you get four puppies out of a dog, it's a lot of money. They are making hundreds of thousands of pounds. It's not just the XL Bullies though, there are the high value Frenchies too. It's all about turning over vast profits. But with the Bully XL if they bite you it is likely you will be seriously injured."
Mr Briggs explained that the new market for puppy bull breeds has attracted a new wave of sellers that lack knowledge and care. "What it's done is attract certain people to the breeding market that weren't there before because they can see so much money to be made. You can just see it coming. It's almost coming in slow motion, a tsunami of welfare issues," he said. He explained that these dodgy dealers are "exploiting animals and the buyer for financial gain".
Social media money craze
In recent years, the American XL bully business has been garnering popularity on social media platforms, with breeders swapping tips about how to 'market' your pack to make the maximum amount of money from puppies. In one YouTube video, viewers are told the UK is "smashing" the XL bully market and you can get puppies younger than eight weeks - which is against the advice of Lucy's Law in the UK.
A dealer online says: "We've been in the bully game for over a year now and have got a bit of knowledge that we can guide you and help you on your way to raise monsters and make ker-ching." His sidekick adds: "Step One is picking your right stud, knowing what you are buying... do your research." The dog dealers say that marketing is "super important" and "it's all about status" - rather than the welfare of the animal.
Sickening fighting pits
Illegal dog fighting has surged since the pandemic with cruel people pitting pups against each other until death
The fights are said to attract heavy betting and guns and drugs are often found by investigators at the secret venuesDog fighting was banned along with all other animal fighting in 1835, and yet illegal dog fights have soared by almost a half since Covid, fuelled by a sickening stream of online videos. The RSPCA was called to 330 fights last year compared to 226 in 2019. And this year, numbers are on track to be even higher with 149 savage encounters recorded up to May.
The RSPCA runs stings to take down the violent and disturbing groups at the top level of this disgusting spectacle. The fights - some reported to be worth up to £50,000 - pit dog against dog until one dies or can no longer fight. They are said to attract heavy betting and guns and drugs are often found at the secret venues. Ian Muttitt, a chief inspector with the RSPCA, said earlier this year that technology now allows these fights to be organised easily and discreetly.
The charity believe backyard breeding and an explosion in demand for bully-type dogs is feeding lower-level fighting, such as chain contests in parks. And they say this is directly linked to the growing number of aggressive "status" dogs on the streets. Mr Muttitt said youngsters often start with an interest in "status" dogs and progress to the top levels of fighting. Coupled with the rising number of violent videos it was causing a "perfect storm".
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He was also concerned about algorithms fuelling interest in fighting after it had been viewed once online. He advised: "If you see a fight in a park or a public place contact the police and the RSPCA but do not get directly involved. Other tell-tale signs would be a lot of dogs coming and going from a property. If people are keeping dogs locked up and away from public view, or if people hear reports of dog fighting going on in their area, they can report things anonymously to Crimestoppers or to the RSPCA."
Dog treadmills for training
RSPCA officers removed a dog treadmill from a property in Birmingham this week where police suspect dogs are being trained for illegal fighting (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)Before pitting them against each other, dog breeders are forcing their dogs onto makeshift treadmills and forcing them to run for their life - training to either kill or be killed in the brutal fighting bloodsport. This hideous set-up was discovered in a raid this week, when the Mirror joined the RSPCA and police on the covert operation to take down a suspected dog fighting ring.
West Midlands Police said two men, aged 30 and 32, were arrested under section 8 of the Animal Welfare Act and five dogs were seized from a property in Saltley, Birmingham on Tuesday. Dogs, drugs and a machete were pulled from the house on a quiet residential road, and a huge medieval-type contraption was also wheeled onto the street.
As daylight broke, it became clear it was a dog treadmill. Such treadmills are commonly used to train fighting dogs, building both strength and stamina. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "Along with the dogs, officers found dog training equipment and books about dog breeding as well as a machete and a quantity of suspected Class A drugs."
'Vicious' behavioural problems
American bullies and their variants can fetch as much as £6,000 on online marketplaces, and thousands of them are currently being listed across the UK for anybody to buy without checks. There are currently 1,303 American bully dogs and puppies for sale on Freeads, while on Pets4Homes, there are 866 puppies being sold. Meanwhile, on gumtree there are 85 XL Bullys available. Gumtree has noted the number of listings has decreased since the announcement of the ban.
Several people currently selling bully-type dogs online allude to the animals having behavioural problems. And while some sellers don't stipulate the breed, many use the term 'not good with kids' on the listing as a codeword for a bully. One owner selling her American bully 'urgently' for £300 on Freeads described her pup, which is just 10-months-old, as being already a "big heavy boy". She added: "Unfortunately my boy wasn't the right choice for my family. A big hyper dog and three young children. This isn't what I want to do but it just isn't fair on him or the kids right now."
Another, who had originally paid £6,000 for their pocket bully - a smaller version of the American bully, said she had listed the dog on Freeads for £1000 to £1,500 after it had a fight with her other dog. One dog listing in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, for a male 15-month-old American XL bully going for £850 said it was not neutered as the vet was unable to get him upstairs to sedate him. The owner added: "Looking for an only-dog home as can be vicious towards other dogs, hence the reason for rehoming. My older boys are 10 and he's attacked both of them mainly over food. You will need to be able to handle him as he is strong."
Animal behaviourist Zoe Willingham told the Mirror: "We need to look at the reasons why these dogs have attacked. Unscrupulous breeders are breeding them to be guard dogs and having these aggressive tendencies. But then they are falling into family homes as pets, which is how you end up with this situation of people trying to sell them on because they can't control them and don't know what they are taking on and not seeking advice about how to look after these dogs or keep themselves safe."
Examples of American bullies for sale on the internet on Gumtree - with some fetching as much as £6,000Joseph Rindsland, head of trust and safety at Gumtree, said: "At Gumtree, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our users and the welfare of the animals listed on our site. We pride ourselves on being a responsible platform and as a member of the Pets Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) - the UK's trade body covering online animal sales made up of 25 welfare organisations including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dogs Trust, and the RSPCA among others - we will always follow Government advice and legislation. Should the Home Office move forward with a ban, our dedicated safety team would make sure that it was reflected in our posting policies. In the meantime, we would ask that all our users seriously consider the characteristics of a dog, and their needs, before agreeing to rehome a pet. We have comprehensive educational material about different breeds on our site which we would strongly recommend users read carefully."
A spokesperson for Pets4Homes said: "Pets4Homes takes our commitment to the safe rehoming of pets seriously. We work with responsible and vetted breeders, provide detailed breed guidelines to those considering rehoming a dog, and work closely with authorities to ensure that we adhere to all UK laws. We do not feature breeds that Defra or PAAG (the Pet Advertising Advisory Group) have a recommendation against rehoming. Should the law or recommendations change on this specific breed, we will update our policies."
Do you think American XL bully dogs should be banned? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
Dangerous dog capital
Knowsley, Merseyside, is said to be the 'dangerous dog capital' in the UK with the most amount of recorded canine bites (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)Figures released last year by NHS England revealed that you are almost 10 times more likely to be bitten by a dog in Knowsley, Merseyside, than the rest of Britain. Doctors in the area see more than 24 people each year with dog bites, 60 percent higher than the national average of 15. Coined the country's 'dangerous dog capital', owners are claimed to parade their XL bullies around the park and use public spaces as illegal breeding grounds at night.
Locals speak of being too frightened to walk down the street, and of being wary of taking young children out for the day. In Knowsley, one resident, who wished to remain anonymous, described the number of dangerous dogs roaming her community, including Stadt Moers Park, as "appalling". She said: "There's been at least four dog-on-dog attacks recently in this park. Only the other day a dog had its throat ripped out and was left with 500 stitches. It's a miracle it survived.
"This is my fear all the time. What scares me is that it could be a child next. It's macho-ism, it's young men who own these dogs. You have all these bullies going around, all these pitbull crosses, and they rule the roost, they do what they want to do." The resident added: "They have even been here breeding the dogs of a night."
Resident Kathy Brogan, 71, said the situation made her reconsider where she can take her three-year-old grandson, Finn, and pet dog. She said: "It makes us wary of where we walk. You do hear about dogs attacking kids and dogs attacking other dogs in Knowsley. There was a child attacked just the other day. We get a lot of people with powerful dogs, some of them off the lead, and it’s frightening." Less than five miles away, in St Helens, attacks average 19 per year. Two children have lost their lives.
One St Helens woman told of being attacked by a Rottweiler last year. The 47-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: "The girl had to punch her own dog in the head several times to get it off me. It was trying to rip my arm off. I thought I was going to bleed out." The woman, who had to have surgery, said she was haunted by physical and mental scars. She said: "The number of powerful breeds in the area is scary. The scales are heavily tipped towards the larger breeds and I think it's incredibly irresponsible. I have no issue with specific breeds but know how to handle it if you are going to get one, don't put us all at risk."
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