Gransnet forums

News & politics

Another person is mauled to death

(248 Posts)
BlueBelle Sun 04-Feb-24 18:43:40

This is really getting too much a 68 year old lady visiting her grandson was mauled to death yesterday by the family dogs believed to be unregistered XLBully s in Jaywick Essex
There were also 6 puppies in the house
The grandson who is 10 saw it happen, traumatised for life I would think
The rules for owners are now in place will the owner be jailed for murder ?
What a dreadful way to die
The police have GOT to follow this with the strongest of punishments in my opinion

Dee1012 Mon 05-Feb-24 15:28:30

While I'm normally wary of these information sites...this was shared with me sometime ago by a friend who is also a dog trainer and makes for interesting and actually horrific reading (it contains some bad language but no gore / gratuitous pictures etc).
The focus is on breeding or rather the inter-breeding that could possibly explain what is happening here.

bullywatch.link/2023/08/01/finding-kimbo/

3nanny6 Mon 05-Feb-24 15:35:12

I also wondered why the grand-mother was in the house where the dogs were kept. I first heard the news and thought the dogs had run into her garden from a neighbouring property. It was said that she also had said the dogs were dangerous. Her son in law who had the child could bring him to his nannies house and see her there, but instead she went to the house. The son in law went out for a while and all of a sudden the two adult dogs went for the grandma while the grandson escaped outside and got away. The grandma was mauled and died what a terrible death. The owner went out so he should have muzzled the two adult dogs and put them in a bedroom or put them into the garden as long as it was closed off so they were safely stopped from biting to attack This large breed is strong and can be ferocious, too much for an older woman. Allowing the bullys to keep breeding must be stopped they are too dangerous.

Callistemon21 Mon 05-Feb-24 15:38:13

Dee1012 thank you for that link.

I had heard something a while ago about most of these dogs being descended from one killer dog in the USA and his descendants being brought over here as breeding dogs, but this article is truly disturbing.

missdeke Mon 05-Feb-24 15:38:33

It's an appalling thing to happen, although they did say on the news that it needs to be proven that they were in fact XL Bullies. It also states that the woman herself believed the dogs were dangerous and that she was using a broom to separate the puppies. Surely she should have refused to be left in charge of dogs she was not happy with. All that said what a dreadful thing for the poor boy to witness.

Dillonsgranma Mon 05-Feb-24 16:04:27

The problem is that this is an American breed which came to this country about 15 years ago. Every XL bully has pitbull in them. . There is a pocket bully too which is not banned . The wretched breeders will just breed them a bit smaller to get over the height stipulation which is 20 inches at the shoulder for males and 18 for females.
Do these deaths will not stop . I think ALL bully cross breed dogs should be on the banned list . And certainly any pit bull cross breed , which is what a bully dog is , no matter what size .
I’m afraid the dregs of humanity buy these dogs as a status symbol as well as a weapon.
They should all be destroyed before there are more deaths

ReadyMeals Mon 05-Feb-24 16:16:05

Looks like she was trying to break up playing puppies with a broom thinking they were fighting. The parents mistakenly thought she was attacking their pups I guess. Very sad incident. Dog owners really need to learn about dog psychology and behaviour to avoid unnecessary tragedies.

EEJit Mon 05-Feb-24 16:17:05

BlueBelle

This is really getting too much a 68 year old lady visiting her grandson was mauled to death yesterday by the family dogs believed to be unregistered XLBully s in Jaywick Essex
There were also 6 puppies in the house
The grandson who is 10 saw it happen, traumatised for life I would think
The rules for owners are now in place will the owner be jailed for murder ?
What a dreadful way to die
The police have GOT to follow this with the strongest of punishments in my opinion

BlueBelle

Whilst I understand your thought, it is not up to the police to decide on, or dish out punishment, that is down to the judiciary, who, these days appear to be a bunch of weak willed idiots.

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 05-Feb-24 16:19:27

The judiciary mete out sentences according to MoJ guidelines Eejit. They are far from ‘weak willed idiots’.

Callistemon21 Mon 05-Feb-24 16:29:40

Not always EEJit

There have been jail sentences in several instances passed down to owners of these dogs where they have mauled someone, causing serious injury.

Where a death has occurred, the owner could be charged with manslaughter and receive a longer custodial sentence.

tickingbird Mon 05-Feb-24 17:21:46

That link makes disturbing reading but not surprising.

There is no reason for anyone to have one of these dogs. They are killing machines as the sheer size and musculature of them means an attack would be almost impossible to stop. I’m not frightened of big dogs but these Bully XL’s terrify me. My son, who’s 6’4” and used to dogs told me one was on a lead near him a few weeks ago and he told me he was anxious and couldn’t wait to get away.

I’ve said before that I don’t know the answer but talk of bringing back licences is really useless as these people aren’t bothered about the law and the logistics of checking whether they have one or not is too difficult. I think they should be phased out and then illegal to own one thereafter.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 17:26:55

I’m not insinuating the poor woman killed was to blame, but honestly where on earth was the owner and what was he thinking? I’m not sure if I’d previously stated I thought these dogs were dangerous I’d want to go into the house, I’d have taken said grandchild to my own house or to a cafe or whatever.

The father was clearly irresponsible. I’m amazed frankly that this boy was even allowed to live there, but there again maybe no authorities were aware. To be honest though, and knowing the area, I’m pretty sure the authorities had a presence there, I’m pretty sure there used to be a Hub there with various different organisations sharing a presence.

Whatever the setup this is a terrible way to die and the person I feel for the most is the 11 year old boy.

A lot of the homes in Jaywick are set up as holiday lodges however I’m also pretty sure most of them are used as residences.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 17:51:40

Thank you Dee1012 for the link, I’ve clicked and read the contents, which I can only describe as chilling. Awful and as a dog lover/owner, I’m afraid I now believe ANY proven descendants of the dogs mentioned should be identified and humanely destroyed. ☹️☹️☹️ Easier said than done, of course!

Dickens Mon 05-Feb-24 18:00:46

tickingbird

That link makes disturbing reading but not surprising.

There is no reason for anyone to have one of these dogs. They are killing machines as the sheer size and musculature of them means an attack would be almost impossible to stop. I’m not frightened of big dogs but these Bully XL’s terrify me. My son, who’s 6’4” and used to dogs told me one was on a lead near him a few weeks ago and he told me he was anxious and couldn’t wait to get away.

I’ve said before that I don’t know the answer but talk of bringing back licences is really useless as these people aren’t bothered about the law and the logistics of checking whether they have one or not is too difficult. I think they should be phased out and then illegal to own one thereafter.

They are killing machines as the sheer size and musculature of them means an attack would be almost impossible to stop.

This is the point isn't it?

We know there are responsible owners of these dogs, but that doesn't prevent them from behaving according to their innate traits and instincts. We've read how these "loving and gentle" pets have 'turned' on a family member - savaging and sometimes killing them. And then there are individuals rushing to defend the dogs suggesting that the fault lies with the (ostensibly responsible) owner, or that the victim "must have done something" to aggravate the animal. It's sickening.

I’ve said before that I don’t know the answer but talk of bringing back licences is really useless as these people aren’t bothered about the law and the logistics of checking whether they have one or not is too difficult. I think they should be phased out and then illegal to own one thereafter.

That is the only sure way of preventing these constant attacks. And the public have a right to be protected.

My goodness, there are enough magnificent dogs to choose from as a family pet.

Of course, those like the owner of this particular dog, who insisted, allegedly, "don't tell me what to do with my fu***ing dogs" will not like it, but - tough.

Fancy telling the grandmother to poke a stick (or broom) around the puppies when they were fighting each other to distract them (puppies do fight with each other, it's natural behaviour) The sheer stupidity and arrogance is staggering. He was, allegedly, selling the puppies for £500 each. I do wonder if such types are in fact intellectually fit to possess any animal. Dogs need care, attention, grooming, walking, training - and a lot of space. The dogs were penned into a small area - those houses in Jaywick are little more than chalets.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 18:14:51

rosie1959

The only way you should be able to get a dog is through a registered breeder or a registered dog charity. Home breeding without license should be illegal as well as advertising on social media ect.

Yes, yes, YES! This would also help stamp out puppy farming! My (ggrrr) daughter’s mini sausages were all purchased during lockdown, only one came from a registered breeder. Puppy number one, as it turned out, was a puppy farm dog, however it was placed in a family home with a family and an adult dog clearly still with milk (whoever knows if it was even related to the puppies there) many months of having “Betty”, by complete coincidence, met at puppy school one of her siblings, both this dogs owner and my daughter had been sent an identical photo of their potential puppy, as a very small baby! They were both the same colour. Had dear Betty gone to a first time dog owner I’ve no doubt she would have been dumped or worse. Once home she clearly hadn’t been weaned, she was very small and training her was very hard.

Please god, this owner gets a very long sentence and a bar from ever owning any animal again (though how this is enforced I’ll never know!)

4allweknow Mon 05-Feb-24 18:18:49

BlueBelle it's not the Police who are responsible for sentencing. They can arrest but it's the CPS that decides if cases are worthwhile to present to Court and the Court decides on punishment. The pokuce will have a difficult job identifying any dog as an XXLBully as so many crossbreeds. There will be the usual out cries of victimisation if anyone is stopped for possibly not abiding by the new law (eg doesn't have a muzzle in public)as their dog looks like an XXLbully but is proved not to be.

varian Mon 05-Feb-24 18:19:46

This is utterly horrifying. I do worry for my eighty-something friend whose family moved in with her then bought an American Bully, which she thinks is a sweet puppy, albeit a very large and fierce looking animal.

Grantanow Mon 05-Feb-24 18:20:14

This is getting out of hand. Keeping such dogs should be prohibited and existing dogs put down. That may be unfair to some but public safety is paramount.

Wheniwasyourage Mon 05-Feb-24 18:40:45

I saw in a paper recently a photo of a young woman who has rehomed one of these huge dogs and thinks he’s a gentle and loyal pet! I wonder what she knows about where he lived before and how he was treated. The worst bit was the other photo, which was of her toddler son with the dog sitting right beside him. I dread to think what would happen if the child suddenly screams, or pulls the dog’s tail. How stupid can you get? sadangry

Iam64 Mon 05-Feb-24 19:08:43

Dee1012, thanks for posting the link to ‘killer Kimbo’. I read it several months ago and never forgot it. Those who say ‘it’s all the owners’ are imo naive. Some of These powerful dogs might be ok with very experienced responsible owners but the number of people killed by xl bullies suggests that serious aggression is inherent in the breed.
I’m surprised some posters seem to put some responsibility on the grandmother who was mauled to death. Comments suggesting as she believed the dogs were dangerous she should have seen her grandson at her house, others suggesting the 11 year old should have been ‘in care’ all indicate a real lack of compassion or knowledge of the reality of life for some of us.

These dogs are bred to be aggressive, to look intimidating. I’m not disputing the relevance of their owners. I’m generalising but the xl bullies who have killed people have all been in entirely unsuitable environments and with owners that have not the first idea about how to train them and meet their breed specific needs

My current dogs are a lab and a spaniel. They’re happiest when involved in breed specific activities, they retrieve especially from water. The spaniel will find birds to flush unless I have her ‘with me’. German shepherds guard and are loyal, terriers kill rats (and can be feisty) , border collies herd sheep (or bicycles ) they need lots of companionship, daily runs or long walks.
Apologies for the long post. If I can add, leaving 8 week old pups alone in a house with their parents isn’t something an experienced or responsible breeder would do. As for advising anyone to use a broom to separate scrapping pups I despair. Little wonder the bitch stepped in to protect her litter or thst the male adult dog stepped in

varian Mon 05-Feb-24 19:13:36

Muzzling these animals in public places is a step in the right direction, but what can be done to protect children, old folk and other vulnerable people from being attacked indoors?

ejsmith99 Mon 05-Feb-24 19:22:07

Well I was shocked and amazed. All those wonderful XL owners saying that they were a peaceful and loving breed who wouldn't hurt a fly and it was chihuahuas we had to look out for 🙄. Makes sense that the perfect family pet comes from stock used to bait and bring down bulls, then make their owners very wealthy by fighting other dogs in pits. Absolutely the type of dog I'd want around my grandchildren, especially once they'd been crossed with mastiffs so they were too strong to be handled by an adult.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 19:23:52

Having read all these comments and that link, I’ve actually changed my opinion to one which supports the outlawing of all dogs bred in this way. As someone else stated there’s lots of other dogs to choose from.

I just want to reiterate I do not hold grandmother responsible, BUT in her shoes, having stated she felt those dogs were dangerous, I personally would not have entered this home, or any home, with two adult dogs and puppies. I’m just being honest and happy to admit I’d be fat too scared.

Cossy Mon 05-Feb-24 19:24:20

Far not fat!!

Gillycats Mon 05-Feb-24 19:25:23

MayBee70 she wasn’t approaching the puppies she was trying to stop them fighting using a broom! Also it’s well known that many breeders will use someone else’s home/premises not necessarily using the puppies parents. Apparently these poor dogs and puppies were kept in appalling conditions. The sooner there is a major clampdown on breeding animals the better. This stupid ruling by the government is beyond useless. Humans are the problem, not dogs.

Gillycats Mon 05-Feb-24 19:35:18

BlueBelle

In my opinion you are wrong gillycats it’s the owners AND it’s the dogs
If the owners were owning a smaller non agressive dog, people might get bitten but they wouldn’t get mauled to death it’s the combination of a ‘single brain celled’ owner and a huge, aggressive, man made dog
These 2 dogs have been killed thankfully and I hope the puppies have been euthanised too This breed MUST be wiped out completely.
No idea what you are talking about Zen82 !!!

Well all animal rescues and charities would disagree with you. Lots of people on here, including you, seem to think you know better than those with extensive experience and knowledge. They have been telling the government for some time what the problem is (owners/breeders) and what needs to be done in order to stop it. Killing XL bullies will not make any difference to these awful attacks as more dogs with different measurements are now being bred by the moronic idiots. I’ve heard the new ‘mix’ includes Rottweilers. Groundhog Day indeed!