Dog attack death toll rises to 24 since Covid with youngest victim 12 days old

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  • Dog attacks across the country are on the rise, with 24 deaths since the start of the Covid lockdown now confirmed.

    The youngest victim of the attacks so far is Bella-Rae Birch, a 17-month old baby who was killed at by an American Bully XL in March 2021. Young Bella-Rae had been mauled to death by the beast at the family home in Blackbrook, St Helen’s.

    Her death is one of 24 fatal attacks in the UK over the last three years, with eight people so far this year being killed due to encounters with vicious dogs. Most recently, Ian Langley was attacked and killed by an XL Bully in Sunderland on Tuesday (October 3).

    READ MORE: ‘My £2m pit bull Hulk is biggest in world – his kids are illegally roaming the UK’

    For the latest news and updates on XL Bully dog attacks, click here.

    XL bully dogs drew recent controversy, prompting the UK Government to announce they would look to ban the breed. Marches were organised against the ban, which was left muddled by rulings over whether or not the XL bully dogs could actually attend.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the dogs were a “danger to our communities” while Sir Robert Goodwill of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee believes faster action needed to be taken. He claims a “general cull” of the breed is necessary.

    1. Ian Langley is the most recent victim of a gruesome XL bully attack in Sunderland. Named yesterday, the 54-year-old is believed to have been mauled by the soon to be banned breed. Police shot the dog dead at the scene.

      A murder investigation is set to be carried out by Northumbria Police. A suspect is currently in custody, reports Sky News.

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    2. Alice Stones tragically lost her life earlier this year after an "American bulldog" mauled the youngster. She was just four when the dog, allegedly taken from a rescue home just six weeks before Alice’s death, attacked the youngster in Milton Keynes.

      Broadlands Councillor Donna Fuller said: "There is an overwhelming sense of sadness and shock this has happened." Others described Alice as a "lovely little girl", the Daily Mail reported.

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    3. Jack Lis was sadly mauled by an XL Bully on November 8, 2021. The 10-year-old had been playing nearby his home and was killed by a dog named "Beast". Owners Brandon Hayden and Amy Slater were jailed for admitting to owning or being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.

      Slater, 29, was jailed for three years while Hayden, 19, was locked up for four-and-a-half.

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    4. Lucille Downer was "dragged by the neck" and killed by a vicious dog. The 85-year-old was fatally attacked by a pair of American Bulldog’s back in 2021, with sentencing for Darren Pritchard carried out in May of this year.

      The 44-year-old admitted responsibility for the dogs and was jailed for nearly five years, Metro reported.

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    5. Ian Price’s life was ended in horrifying circumstances on September 14 this year, with the 52-year-old father of two attacked by two dogs.

      His death was the tragic incident which sparked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call for the banning of Xl bullys by the end of the year.

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    1. Wayne Stevens had been killed at a house in Derby, where police shot the dog which claimed the life of the 51-year-old.

      Gary Stevens, 53, has since been charged under the Dangerous Dog Act. The force confirmed the identity of the victim back in April and family members paid tribute adding "can’t explain the pain" they feel.

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    2. Bella-Rae Birch was killed by an XL Bully dog in shocking circumstances. Her family had purchased the pup just a week before her death in April 2022.

      The cheap dog was "humanely destroyed" after the death of the youngster, who was just 17 months old when the brutal beast attacked.

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    3. Daniel John Twigg, three, was another youngster to sadly lose their lives in a dog attack. The youngster, described as "happy and kind", was mauled by an animal on Carr Lane in Rochdale on May 15 last year.

      His death prompted a "significant" investigation from police, with the youngster taken to hospital and in a "cardiac arrest" where he sadly passed away.

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    1. Animal lover Marie Stevens was sadly bitten multiple times after trying "to stroke" two dogs in a park. Her multiple wounds were tended to by paramedics.

      She was then rushed to hospital for further treatment, but the 40-year-old died shortly after being sent home from the hospital. Friend Lainey Dawson said: "She knew how to brighten a day when it was dull. I’m thinking of her family and friends."

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    2. Baby Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes received 40 brutal puncture wounds just 12 days after they were born. The youngster was savaged by a "dangerously out of control Chow Chow on September 13, 2020, The Mirror reported.

      Dad Stephen Joynes, 36, was jailed for four years at the time, with the tragic incident seeing Elon’s father plead guilty to the charge of being the owner of a dog which caused death when dangerously out of control. A neighbour had seen the baby "quietly crying" shortly after the attack.

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    3. Joanne Robinson died after her XL Bully dog ‘Rocco’ attacked her, leaving the 43-year-old with serious injuries at her home in West Melton, Rotherham.

      She and partner Jamie Stead had purchased the two dogs, described as "gentle giants" by Joanne’s mother, Dot, a short while before her death last July.

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    1. Ann Dunn suffered "catastrophic" injuries after her son’s pet dog turned on her, with the American Bulldog fatally injuring the 65-year-old in October last year.

      It is believed the mum had been trying to break up a fight between Bronx and another dog, Cairo, which left her with broken bones and bite marks "down to the bone".

      Her son, Stephen Dunn, was arrested on suspicion of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control, but was later released without charge.

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    2. Keira Ladlow was tragically killed by a dog given to her in the hopes it would improve her mental health. The 21-year-old had been attacked by the pooch gifted by her brother back in 2021.

      Although the dog initially "settled in", Gucci soon turned on the young woman, who was discovered "lifeless" and "covered in blood" by her brother Kayden Barrett, BBC News reported.

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    3. Dad-of-five Jonathan Hogg was left fatally mauled by an "out of control" dog, which claimed the life of the much-loved 37-year-old.

      Police shot the dog at the scene of the incident as Jonathan was rushed to hospital and fighting to survive serious injuries. He sadly lost his life in hospital the following day, MEN reported.

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    • Dogs
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