An American XL Bully.Image: Cheshire Police
April 17, 2026, 8:06 p.mApril 17, 2026, 8:06 p.m
The owner of an XL Bully dog has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after the animal bit an 84-year-old man to death in northwest England. The man who was attacked was attacked by the dog in the driveway of a house in the evening on the way home from a pub in February 2025, as the British news agency PA reported with reference to court information. The man finally succumbed to his injuries a month after the attack.
There was talk of “catastrophic facial injuries” in court. The attack lasted 45 minutes. During this time, the victim was conscious the entire time and suffered unbearable pain. Armed police shot the 46 kilogram dog named “Toretto” with ten shots, writes PA. Investigations later revealed that Toretto had already started eating the man alive.
XL Bullies are banned in the UK
The 31-year-old defendant was found guilty of being the owner of a dangerously out-of-control dog. A “catalog of failures” led to the attack. The dog was only inadequately secured – on a terrace through a gate with a bolt. The dog owner pleaded guilty to keeping an XL bully without a special permit. Since February 2024, keeping XL Bullies has been banned in the UK unless they were already registered before the ban came into force.
In Germany, the American XL Bully is not yet classified as a breed and therefore does not appear in the lists of dangerous dogs – in contrast to breeds such as Pitbull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier. An import ban also applies to them. However, there is no nationwide regulation for keeping fighting dogs. The individual federal states list which breeds are considered dangerous. Special rules apply to these animals, such as a permit requirement, a leash and muzzle requirement, and an insurance requirement. (sda/dpa)