Dogs Trust, which rehomed XL Bully that attacked owner in Norfolk, stops adoption of breed

An animal rescue charity that recently rehomed an XL Bully, which mauled its owner, said it has stopped putting the breed up for adoption.

The American Bully called Denvor was shot dead by police after attacking its owner at her home in Brisley, Norfolk, on Monday afternoon.

Denvor had escaped from the house in Gately Road to the car park of a primary school, before he was shot. Pupils and teachers were still inside the building at the time.

The owner, a woman in her 60s, was taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

She had been "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her pet in her back garden, said police.

The charity said it had taken the decision in the wake of the government's decision to introduce a ban on American XL bullies, following a series of maulings nationwide, some of which have been deadly.

Dogs Trust, which had rehomed Denvor from its Snetterton centre, said it was "carrying out a thorough investigation" after the incident.

A spokesperson said: "Denvor arrived at Dogs Trust after being found as a stray in the North West.

"He was rehomed by us on 7 September.

"We assess each dog individually when they come into our care. This includes a comprehensive assessment by our experienced training and behaviour team. This assessment helps us understand how the dog is likely to respond to a range of experiences and situations.

"So far this year we have rehomed almost 8,000 dogs and incidents like this are incredibly rare."

The charity said it "immediately" stopped promoting the breed for adoption after the government announced a ban in September.

It added it has also "made the difficult decision to pause the intake of dogs suspected to be an American Bully XL-type".

A spokesperson stressed that this was until the government had defined exactly what an American Bully XL type is, and what the implications of the ban will be on owners.

They said: "We believe that taking a dog that could potentially be typed as an American Bully XL into our kennels may be detrimental to the dog’s future as, once banned, we may be unable to own or transfer ownership of these dogs.

"Under the government’s legislation we may be forced to put these dogs to sleep."

But the charity said it was supporting owners during the transition period before the ban, by giving behaviour advice and muzzle training.

Dogs Trust said it is still against a ban, adding: "Public safety is paramount, but a focus on breed specific legislation is not the best way to achieve this.

"We continue to call for a radical overhaul of dog control measures to help avoid further tragic incidents and keep members of the public safe."

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