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A woman has died after being attack by registered XL bullies at her east London home

May 21, 2024

After being attacked at a house in east London by her two registered XL bullies, a 50-year-old woman passed away.

The woman passed away at the scene on Monday afternoon after receiving medical attention from paramedics at the house in Cornwall Close, Hornchurch.

The two canines were kept in a room until they were taken by armed officers.

It is thought to be the first known fatal attack by an XL bully dog certified under the new legislation.

A blue forensic tent was put up outside the woman's home in the small residential street following the attack.

The family of the woman, who was the owner of the dogs, is being supported by officers, the Metropolitan Police says.

Neighbours have described seeing paramedics administer CPR to the victim in her front garden.

A woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: "I came out of the house and looked to see what had happened. We hadn't heard anything but saw a helicopter overhead and loads of police.

'A lot of barking'
"I stood by the road and saw a paramedic administering CPR. That poor woman. It's shocking."

Another woman, who also did not want to be named, said she heard barking during the incident and had previously warned her child about going near the XL bully dogs.

"I said 'don't ever touch those dogs. They're dangerous'.

"I didn't see anything but I heard a lot of of barking and saw a lot of people outside," she said.

From 1 February, it became an offence in England and Wales to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

The government move to ban the dog followed a series of attacks on people.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths due to dog attacks in 2023, a sharp rise from preceding years where the number had been in single figures.

As of late 2023, around 60% of dogs held in police kennels were a bull breed of some kind.

Dog trainer Michaela Scott, who lives near the house where the woman died in Hornchurch, said attacks like this could be scary for people who did not work with this breed.

"It's really sad for the person, the neighbours, for the local community," she said.

Ms Scott, who specialises in working with XL bully dogs, said there were "quite a lot" of people in the area with the breed.

She said there had been a rise in demand from owners for her training program to help their dogs adapt to the new rules.

"Owners want to do what's right for their dog," she said. "They want to know how to keep their dog safe as well as everyone else safe."

Anyone who owns one of the dogs must have the animal neutered and microchipped, and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public, among other restrictions.