XL bullies latest - Son pays tribute to mother killed in suspected dangerous dog attack

By 1 February 2024, owners were expected to have registered their XL bullies on the index of exempted dogs. It is now illegal to own an XL bully that is not registered on the index.

XL bully owners who fail to register their dogs on the index face a criminal record and an unlimited fine. Their dog could also be seized.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or their dangerous dogs can be euthanised.

If an owner does not want to keep their dog, they have the option to have their dog put down by a vet, with the Government providing compensation of £200 for those who choose this option.

The victim of a suspected XL bully fatal attack raised concerns previously to the owners of the dogs, her daughter has claimed.

Esther Martin, 68, was killed at a home in Jaywick, Essex on Saturday after reportedly trying to break up fighting puppies.

Her daughter, Sonia Martin, told the BBC: “There were adult XL bully dogs in the property, and my mum had raised concerns to the owners about them being dangerous and quite aggressive. There were also six puppies.”

She said she had been informed that the puppies had started fighting and her mother had been told by the dogs’ owner to “put a broom in among them, to distract them”.

She said: “That’s when she was attacked.”

The son of 68-year-old Esther Martin - who was killed by a suspected XL bully on Saturday - has paid tribute to his mother.

Paul Martin posted on social media: “Love you lots mum. Sleep tight and give Clare Louise a big hug from me love you both lots.

He added: “Until we meet again. Your memory will live forever.”

Essex police rushed to an address in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea just after 4pm but could not save the retired Tesco worker.

Her daughter, Sonia Martin, previously paid tribute to her late mother and said she had raised concerns about the dogs previously.

New rules for owning American XL bully dogs have been put in place in the UK after a spate of violent attacks across the country.

On 31 December 2023, it officially became illegal to sell, give away and breed from an XL Bully and as of February 1, owners have not been allowed to own an XL bully in England and Wales unless their dog has a valid Certificate of Exemption.

But what other breeds are banned in the UK? Here’s a list:

- American Bully

- Pitbull Terrier

- Japanese Tosa/ Japanese Mastiff

- Dogo Argentino

- Fila Brasileiro

As many as 10,000 XL bully dogs could be without a certificate of exemption, as the ban on the breed came into force on February 1.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said they had been informed that around 40,000 dog owners had registered their pets since the ban was announced by Rishi Sunak in September.

However, one of the UK’s largest veterinary practitioners, IVC Evidensia, believes that there are an estimated 50,000 XL bullies in the country, while other animal welfare charities have placed the figure as high as 100,000.

This means that according to those figures, at least 10,000 dogs are still unregistered in the UK.

A grandmother has died after being attacked by two dogs described as XL Bullies while visiting her 11-year-old grandson in Jaywick.

Essex Police were called to Hillman Avenue shortly after 4pm on Saturday where they found the victim, named by her family as Esther Martin, seriously injured.

The 68-year-old, from Woodford Green, London, was pronounced dead at the scene. The attack is thought to have involved two XL bully-type dogs.

Neighbours have described hearing “horrific” screaming from the property lasting 10 minutes.

Police have bailed a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of dangerous dog offences following the tragic death.

Read the full report below:

The daughter of a grandmother who was killed in a suspected XL bully attack said she was killed while trying to distract the puppies from fighting.

Esther Martin was tragically killed in Jaywick, Essex on Saturday while visiting her grandson.

Her daughter, Sonia Martin told the BBC that she believes the 68-year-old was attacked while following instructions of the owner who was not present and told her to distract the puppies with a broom if they began fighting.

“The owner had left my mum with the dogs and my nephew and gone off somewhere even though my mum had raised concerns about them,” she said.

“His direction to my mum as we understand it was that if the puppies were fighting that she needed to put a broom in there and distract the puppies with the broom. Like run it over the floor and shake it to get the puppy’s attention so they stop fighting with each other and chase the broom.

“From our understanding, it was at this point my mum was attacked.”

The daughter of a woman who was killed after being attacked by two suspected XL bully dogs cried as she paid tribute to her.

Police were called to an address in Jaywick, Essex, after 4pm on Saturday where officers found the victim, named by her family as Esther Martin, seriously injured.

The 68-year-old, from Woodford Green, London, was pronounced dead at the scene. The attack is thought to have involved two XL bully-type dogs.

Ms Martin’s daughter Sonia Martin broke down in tears during a live interview with the BBC on Monday as she paid tribute to her mother.

An official definition of the breed published by the UK government, describes features of the breed including a “heavy, large and broad” head and a “blocky or slightly squared” muzzle.

The dog is a variant of the American bully dog. XL refers to their size, and there are four categories: pocket, standard, classic and XL, the last of which tend to be around 33-50cm in height and weigh in at 20-60kg.

The definition also classifies the height of an adult male dog being from 20in (51 cm) at the withers and an adult female being from 19in (48cm) at the withers.

It is also described as being “heavily muscled” with a “large, blocky body giving the impression of great power for size”, and a glossy, smooth and close coat.