Home Secretary seeks “urgent advice" on banning American bully XL dogs after attack on 11-year-old

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has commissioned legal advice on the banning of “lethal” American bully XL dogs, after an attack on a young girl in Birmingham.

Braverman wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children. We can't go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them."

Her statement comes after footage was posted online of the attack in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, on Saturday.

According to West Midlands Police, The 11-year-old girl and two men who intervened were bitten by the dog. All three were treated in hospital.

In a statement, the police said: “the dog was initially taken to a local vet to be checked over before being taken into secure kennels while the investigation continues.”

In 2021, a young boy was killed at a house in Caerphilly by the same breed.

Responding to Braverman on X, the boy’s mother Emma Whitfield said: "It's crazy how this video has gone viral and now politicians are coming out of the woodwork saying how bad it is.

"Where were you when other innocent people were killed? Where were you when I was at Parliament asking for change? Nowhere."

The Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in 1991, which banned the owning, selling, breeding and abandoning of four breeds of dog.

Adding dogs to the banned list is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

A Defra spokesperson said: “We take dog attacks and antisocial behaviour very seriously and are making sure the full force of the law is being applied.

“This can range from lower-level Community Protection Notices – which require dog owners to take appropriate action to address behaviour – to more serious offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act, where people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or result in dangerous dogs being euthanised.”

Defra revealed that it has established an expert Responsible Dog Ownership working group “to identify additional measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog”.

It is also currently reviewing the regulations for licensed dog breeders and pet sellers.