A screaming mother desperately tried to protect her young children when an unmuzzled XL bully lunged at their pram.
The 34-year-old mum, who asked not to be named, cried for help when the dog launched itself at the pram carrying her one-year-old daughter, tipping it over at Latchmere Recreation Ground in Battersea, southwest London, on Friday morning.
The family had just arrived at the playground when the horror unfolded, after which the dog owner vanished with the animal. Police are continuing to trace the man, thought to be aged between 25 and 35.
"Before I knew it, the dog had pushed the metal gate open and jumped on my toddler who was on the floor being bitten. I don’t know how I managed to pick him up but I did and kicked the dog off. I grabbed the pram with the other hand but as I did, the dog launched at the pram which made it overturn," the mum told the Express.
"My baby was on the ground and the dog got on top of her. I was screaming 'someone help me'. Someone heard from a house and called the police. The owner had run from the other side of the park to get to us and was wrestling the dog. This dog was absolutely huge.
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"He was lying on top of it trying to get the lead back on. We ran to the other side of the street as police arrived but the man had run off. I don't know how my baby is alive. I thought her face would have been ripped off. All this dog wanted to do was kill someone. Both my children have bite marks all over them but it’s nothing serious. It was the middle of the day, it shouldn’t have happened."
The attack happened at a park in Battersea, part of the Wandsworth borough of London (Google)Dog attacks involving XL Bullies continue to be reported this year - despite the introduction of laws around the breed. From Thursday February 1, it became be a criminal offence to own an XL bully in England and Wales without a certificate.
Metropolitan Police want to trace the dog owner to assess whether he has a certificate and to investigate the attack, after which the two kids needed to see a doctor for bite injuries. Now, their mother "really nervous to leave the house" following the incident.
She added: "In Battersea, there’s a lot of families and a lot of dogs. There's a lot of gangs and everyone just feels scared at the moment. Everyone is nervous to leave their house. There’s always been crime but it was largely gang related whereas now it’s not the case. These dogs are so out of control and are on our doorstep. There’s nothing we can do about it."
Sargent Steve Hales of the South West Safer Neighbourhoods Team said: "We were called at around 11:30hrs on Friday, 2 February, by a member of the public who said they had seen a dog, believed to be an XL Bully, attack some children in Latchmere Recreation Ground, Burns Road, SW11.
"We attended the scene within a few minutes and found the children, who were all safe and unharmed. The dog, who was not on the lead and was not wearing a muzzle at the time of the attack, had already left the park with its owner. We understand this will be very worrying for local residents but I would like to reassure you that we are working hard to locate the dog and its owner.
"The owner of the dog is believed to be a black man aged between 25-35 years. He was wearing a black tracksuit, a black Canada goose jacket with a white fur hood and black, Nike trainers. The dog was grey with tan features. We encourage anyone who has any information to get in touch by calling 101 and quoting CAD 2864/2Feb. You can also post on X @MetCC or contact us anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
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