Man describes moment his dog is viciously mauled by American XL Bully as PM announces ban on breed

• ITV Meridian's Kerry Swain has been speaking to Leo Wolfe about the vicious attack on his pet dog.

A man whose dog was savaged in a vicious attack by an XL bully dog, has described his shock at how aggressive and strong it was.

Leo Wolfe was, himself, bitten in the attack at Eling near Totton in Southampton, while his dog Tia was seriously injured.

Today, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the controversial breed, known as an XL Bully, is a danger to communities - particularly children.

He says the dogs will be banned by the end of the year, after work is done to define the breed.

In Totton, Mr Wolfe said he's still suffering flashbacks from the attack - and fully supports a ban.

• Leo Wolfe said the dog was particularly aggressive and strong.

Describing the moment the attack happened, he said: "I was screaming 'no, no, no' at the top of my voice.

"I 100% thought she was dead - she wasn't moving, there was no life in her whatsoever and the other dog was shaking her.

"And the guys at the other end were trying to get their dog off and it just wasn't happening."

Tia the six-year-old Spaniel Dachshund was attacked outside the Anchor Inn in Eling in Totton near Southampton by a dog believed to be an American XL Bully.

A customer drove them to the vets in Millbook where she underwent emergency treatment after the attack, and needed stitches.

"The vet said it missed her jugular by a millimetre and if that happened there was no bringing her back," Leo added.

Tia's owner said he suffered puncture wounds in his fingers as he tried to prise Tia from the Bully's jaws.

He describes Tia as a 'gentle, sociable dog who has never been in a fight,' and said the attack was completely unprovoked.

Describing the other do he said: "It was massive - when they were lifting the dog to take it away after I was at the vets it took two of them to lift the dog into the van it was that big.

"It's not like a normal dog, it's like a little lion it is that aggressive and that strong that it's not anything I've seen or encountered before and now I strongly advise that something needs to be done about this."

Dog behaviourist Pippa Apps, said, "The Bully XL has been selectively bred for power and strength.

"It's a mixture of the English Bulldog, the American Bulldog and the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

"It's also closely related to the Pitbull so basically it's a guarding breed built for power and strength.

"They're not innately dangerous but they have a very high propensity to be aggressive.

"More so I would say it's the hands of who they're owned by, and whether they're not receiving training or even worse they're actually trained to be guard dogs."

Today (Friday 15 September) the Prime Minister vowed to ban the American XL bully, describing it as 'a danger to our communities.'

Following a recent rise in attacks by the breed, Rushi Sunak said the ban, which would come under the Dangerous dogs act, would come into force by the end of the year.

It would mean people who own the breed could be jailed for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or see dangerous dogs euthanised.

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