A top plastic surgeon who has treated horrifically wounded victims of American Bully XL attacks has joined calls for the bloodthirsty breed to be banned in Britain.
Richard Baker claims his clinic in Slough treats two people a week who have been mauled by dogs in an ‘unrelenting flow’ of attacks that ‘must be costing the NHS a fortune’.
He fears XL Bully dogs were responsible for the vast majority of savagings and warned the injuries the deadly hounds can inflict look more like ‘gunshot wounds’ with bone, muscle and tendon ‘hanging out’ all over the place.
His comments came as an 11-year-old girl, viciously mauled by a Bully XL in an attack that prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to seek a change in the law, demanded the out of control beast was put down and its owner jailed.
Speaking to MailOnline, father of two Richard, 47, said: ‘I cannot see why anyone would want to own a dog bred for violence. There’s no good reason for wanting to own one of those. There’s absolutely no doubt they should be banned.
Richard Baker claims his clinic in Slough treats two people a week mauled by dogs in an ‘unrelenting flow’ of attacks that ‘must be costing the NHS a fortune’.
His comments come after an 11-year-old girl was savagely mauled by a Bully XL in an attack that prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to seek a change in the law
Horrifying police body-worn camera footage shows the moment two officers in South Yorkshire were attacked by an American Bully XL
‘It’s irresponsible to own a dog bred for violence. I can’t imagine someone responsible ever wanting to own a dog like that. The owners need to be held to account.’
Figures show American Bully XLs are responsible for the majority of fatal dog attacks since 2021 amid a boom in their popularity, with the breed increasingly being used by celebrities as status symbols.
Two in four deadly dog attacks in the UK in 2021 involved XL bulldogs – rising to six in 10 in 2022, including high-profile maulings that killed children Jack Lis, 10, and Bella-Rae Birch, aged 17 months. So far in 2023, the dogs have fatally savaged two people.
Mr Baker added: ‘There’s a steady unrelenting flow of dog attacks that I’m having to treat in my neck of woods.
‘We see dog bites requiring hospital admissions every week. I think half of these bites are caused by this type of dog. If not an XL bully a related breed or cross. It’s probably costing the NHS a fortune.’
The experienced plastic surgeon, who specialises in intricate hand reconstruction surgeries as well as other aesthetic operations, said the injuries caused by the lethal hounds could be horrific.
‘These dogs have such strong jaws they tend to grab on and not let go. They can crack bones quite easily,’ he added. ‘In hands I’ve seen fingers go missing, nerves chomped through, bones in the hands cracked and skin lost. The wounds are really terrible.
‘When you see that wounded with muscle, tendons and nerves hanging out everywhere, it looks like a gunshot wound.’
Richard Baker claims the injuries XL Bully dogs can inflict can be similar to a gunshot wound
Ana Paun was walking to the shops with her 18-year-old sister when the powerful breed of bulldog leapt up at her from a bus shelter
Ana remained in hospital for a day and was allowed home to recover last night with a bandaged arm
His comments came as brave schoolgirl Ana Paun spoke exclusively to MailOnline about the moment was savaged by a dangerous XL Bully dog in a ferocious rampage.
The 11-year-old told how the powerful breed of bulldog ‘which was suffering from heat exhaustion’ leapt up at her after lying unleashed in a Birmingham bus shelter as she walked home from buying sweets with her sister.
Traumatised Ana said: ‘The dog just came at me out of nowhere. I was walking to the shop with my elder sister and the dog was with its owner, who was standing by a bus shelter.
‘The dog stared at me and as I got closer it suddenly jumped up and bit my arm, it didn’t take its gaze off me and continued staring while it was biting.
‘It sort of locked on to my arm and wouldn’t let go. I was screaming as loud as I could.
‘The dog knocked me to the floor and was still attacking me. A man helped me and hit the dog which released it from my arm but it then lunged at me again and bit my shoulder.
‘I was in shock but another man managed to grab the dog from behind and pull it off me. The dog then chased someone else into the petrol station and attacked him on the forecourt.
The eleven-year-old is now recovering at home following the gruesome ordeal
‘I managed to get off the floor at this point and with my sister I ran into the shop to safety. There was a lot of blood pouring from my arm.
‘The staff called the police and the ambulance and I was taken to Heartlands Hospital.’
She added: ‘I thought it was going to attack my face and neck and that I was going to die.
‘I kept screaming and screaming – I was petrified.’
Ana remained in hospital for a day and was allowed home to recover last night.
She said she has lived in the area for five-years but has never seen the dog before.
Cradling a bandaged left forearm, she added: ‘I don’t blame the dog but the owner did nothing at all when I was attacked. He just watched on and didn’t attempt to stop it.
‘I’m now too frightened to leave home and I’m very wary of dogs.
‘The pain isn’t too bad as I’m on antibiotics but I still feel really shaken up. I thought the dog might do more serious damage or worse, kill me. I’m really thankful to the people who helped me.’
Ana was one of three people bitten by the dog, two men were also attacked.
Her relieved mother, Monica, said a man who tried to help her daughter was chased into a neighbouring Texaco petrol station and left more seriously hurt.
More footage has emerged of a savage dog attack in Birmingham that left an 11-year-old girl and two men injured
Ana’s mother has said she does not want the dog to be destroyed and has blamed the animals owner for the incident
She said: ‘We bumped into him in hospital. He had a very serious bite wound to his upper arm.
‘He lives near to us but I think he’s still in hospital as his injuries are more severe. But I thanked him for helping to save my daughter.
‘I don’t want the dog to be destroyed, it’s the owner who is at fault. They shouldn’t be walking around with such a dangerous dog, especially one that isn’t on a lead or muzzled.
‘Ana is doing ok, she is a strong girl. We’ve had visits from friends and family, who have been worried sick. Ana’s also been on FaceTime chats with her schoolmates to show them she’s ok.
‘I shudder to think what could have happened. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
‘I’m originally from Romania, where there are lots of stray dogs roaming the streets and there have been attacks on people. I’ve always been careful around them.
‘I didn’t expect my daughter to be seriously injured by one on the streets of Birmingham.’
A passenger on the top deck of a passing bus filmed the horrific attack on their mobile phone on Saturday afternoon.
The footage was uploaded onto social media and shows the muscular dog attack Ana as force her to the ground as onlookers scream.
A man is seen pulling the dog away from her as the XL Bully goes for another man in a white T-shirt and shorts who sprints onto a petrol station forecourt.
Footage of the bloody attack went viral on social media and prompted outrage from the Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
She tweeted: ‘The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children.
‘We can’t go on like this. I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them.’
She is now pushing for a ban on American XL bully dogs, saying they are a ‘clear and lethal danger’ – particularly to children.
Following the attack, which is the latest in a terrifying spate of incidents, debate has raged as to whether the XL bully breed should be banned.
This morning on Good Morning Britain, dog trainer Kay Taiwo pushed back at calls for a ban and claimed American XL Bully dogs were ‘not bred or made to be ultra-aggressive’.
She said: ‘These dogs don’t want to jump about the place. You go online and see people who own these dogs, they will tell you that the dog is calm.’