Man dies after attack by ‘American Bully XL dogs’ in Staffordshire
By Maisie Olah
BBC News, West Midlands
A man has died after suffering multiple injuries in an attack by two dogs believed to be American bully XLs.
The victim was left in a critical condition after being attacked by the dogs in Stonnall, near Walsall, Staffordshire.
He was taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital but later confirmed dead, emergency services said.
A man, 30, from Lichfield has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, said Staffordshire Police.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to ban American XL bully dogs, describing them as a “danger to communities”
Police said it was understood the dogs were XL bullys, but further tests were being carried out to determine their breed.
One of the dogs died after being restrained and the other died after an injection was given by a vet, police said.
Image source, Ryan Underwood
The man was bitten by two dogs in Main Street, Stonnall
The attack happened in Main Street, at about 15:15 BST, police said.
Members of the public tried to help the victim and attempted to get the dogs off him.
Meanwhile, children at nearby St Peter’s Primary Academy were stopped from leaving for several hours for safety reasons.
Zoe Heath, director of operations at St Chads Academy Trust which runs the school, said children were allowed out of the school at 18:00 BST.
“The children were let out of school at 15:15 to parents as is normal, we were notified at 15:25 BST by police that there had been incident on Main Street.
“A text was sent to parents to bring children back to school and gates were closed until we were notified later on in the day,” she said.
One of the dogs was contained outside, while the other was contained in the owner’s flat.
Image source, Ryan Underwood
Police remain at the scene
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said in March a woman and her dogs were seen being chased by the same two dogs which killed the man.
The resident said the police were called and the owner was given a caution.
Another resident, David Morrell, said he was shocked something like this would happen in the village.
“We’re all shocked…in a little village like this you don’t expect it.
“This morning to find out that two dogs have attacked a guy in the street is just totally shocking”.
David Morrell said he was totally shocked something like this would happen in a small village
A West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) spokesman said: “Upon arrival we found a man who had sustained multiple life-threatening injuries and was in a critical condition.
“Unfortunately, after arrival at hospital, despite the best efforts it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him and he was confirmed as deceased.”
Supt Tracy Meir of Staffordshire Police said the victim’s family was being supported.
“Detectives continue to investigate and we have taken statements, viewed CCTV and carried out house-to-house enquiries in the local area but are keen to speak to anyone with information,” she said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said American bully XL dogs will be banned by the end of the year, after work is done to define the breed.
He said he “shares the nation’s horror” regarding videos of recent dog attacks, including Thursday’s incident which “tragically led to a fatality”.
A recent dog attack on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham sparked the debate about banning certain dog breeds.
The girl and two men were set upon by an American bully XL outside shops in Bordesley Green on 9 September.
Ana Paun, 11, said she had started to run after seeing a dog staring at her when it grabbed her hand and started moving her about.
School children at St Peter’s Primary Academy were told not to leave as the attack happened at the end of the school day
BBC Verify reported that ten people died because of dog bite injuries in England and Wales last year.
Last year, there were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury. In 2018, there were just over 16,000, a BBC investigation found.
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