• May 3, 2024
  • Chihuahua killed by XL bulldog while they were out with dog walker

    Shocked animal lovers have launched a petition calling for owners of controversial dog breeds such as the XL bully to face punishment if their pets harm or kill another animal – following the tragic death of a chihuahua in South West London last week.  

    The owner of the tiny dog named Yoda revealed on social media how the family pet was mauled to death by two American XL bulldogs while out walking in Crane Park in Twickenham. 

    The XL bullies were being walked by a professional dog walker at the time, a family member related to their owners have confirmed. 

    Chihuahuas generally weigh around 6lbs and Yoda died in the the arms of its owner at a nearby vets following the savage attack. 

    A dog expert told MailOnline earlier this month that the XL bully breed is ‘very, very reactive’ and warned deaths caused by the such dogs could soar in the coming months and years. 

    Yoda’s owner, from South West London, wrote that her pet dog had been ‘mauled and killed this morning by two XL bullies dogs at Crane Park’ adding ‘keep your children and dogs away if you see these dogs’ and saying the family had been left ‘heartbroken’ by the death of their dog. 

    The family of Yoda the chihuahua, who was mauled to death by two American XL bulldogs while out walking in Crane Park, Twickenham, say they’re heartbroken at the loss of their family pet  

    One person on social media, who claimed to witness the attack, said: ‘I was there when it happened and I don’t think I will ever get over watching a small chihuahua being eaten by an XL bully.

    ‘The chihuahua did not ask for that, it didn’t bark. It didn’t do anything it just came too close to a clearly dangerous dog in a public park.’

    American XL bullies are mixed breed bulldogs, typically American pitbull terriers crossed with American, English and Olde English bulldogs. 

    On the social media app NextDoor, the news of Yoda’s death sparked hundreds of comments, with many saying the dogs involved should be put down. 

    Others have since set up the petition, which now has nearly 9,000 signatures, calling for the owners of dogs who attack and kill other animals to face punishment. 

    The petition reads: ‘We want people to be held accountable for dogs that attack other pets. At the moment a dog attacking another pet isn’t an offence unless it’s deemed to be out of control.’ 

    A photo shared on NextDoor allegedly shows one of the XL bulldogs that killed the chihuahua

    The two animals allegedly responsible for the killing (pictured) were being walked by a professional dog walker at the time of the attack, say eyewitnesses

    Family members have defended the owners of the dog on the app, saying that they weren’t out with the dogs at the time and they’ve been targeted with abuse since the attack.

    The relative said they ‘weren’t defending the dogs or the breed’ and that the owners had contacted the police themselves after hearing about the attack. 

    They also added that the owner had been subjected to ‘constant threats and even individuals showing up at their home’ after the attack.  

    XL bullies have increasingly become status symbols beloved by athletes, rappers and pet owners across the country. 

    Stan Rawlinson, a dog behaviourist with more than 20 years of experience, was called as an expert witness for the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act and specialises in dog aggression.

    He told MailOnline the breed pose a risk to both humans and animals.  

    A petition calling for owners of dogs who attack and harm others animals to face the law has been set up following Yoda’s death 

    Echoing warnings by PETA members and vets in the country, Mr Rawlinson explained: ‘We averaged three dog attack deaths a year for the past 25 years. 

    ‘From that, we had ten last year with up to seven related to the XL bully. This is only going to get worse.

    ‘They could kill you in about a minute and the worst thing is no one knows how many there are in the UK. There are at least thousands but we just don’t know for sure.

    ‘Amateurs are tinkering with DNA, giving these dogs enhanced muscles, trying to create monsters.

    Various celebs own American bullies, including rapper Drake pictured with Winter (right)

    ‘And they’ve managed it. It’s going to get considerably worse.

    Deaths of humans caused by dog attacks have more than doubled in the past two years, from four in 2021 to a record ten in 2022, and Mr Rawlinson says the rise in the number of bullies is a clear factor in this. 

    Two of four fatal dog attacks in the UK in 2021 involved a bully XL, with the number increasing to at least six out of ten last year. 

    So far in 2023, there have been at least two fatal bully attacks – with fears the breed could have also been involved in three other dog killings. 

    Online adverts selling the breed and the surging number of the animals seized by police suggests the number of the dogs in the country could be rising rapidly.