Ana Paun, 11, was treated for arm and shoulder injuries but is now home from hospital
By Shehnaz Khan
BBC News, West Midlands
A 60-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a dog dangerously out of control after an 11-year-old girl was attacked.
Ana Paun was seriously injured by an American bully XL and Staffordshire bull terrier crossbreed in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, on Saturday.
West Midlands Police said the arrested man had since been bailed with conditions while inquiries continued.
The dog remains in secure kennels, the force added.
The 11-year-old had been visiting the shops with her 18-year-old sister when she had noticed the dog in the street.
‘So scared’
“The dog was staring at me and I got scared, so I started to run,” Ana told the BBC as she recounted the attack.
“The dog grabbed my hand and started moving me about.
“I was so scared. I was screaming for help but [couldn’t] do anything.”
Ana suffered serious arm and shoulder injuries after being attacked by the dog, which had broken free from its collar twice.
She required hospital treatment including about eight stitches but has since returned home.
Two men who went to her aid and chased the dog across a garage forecourt were also injured and needed hospital treatment.
An 11-year-old girl and two men were injured in the attack in Birmingham on Saturday
The American bully XL is the largest variation of the American bully breed, a type of bulldog developed by breeding several dogs including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bulldog and English Bulldog.
The dog is not recognised as a specific breed by the Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organisation for breeding and welfare.
The attack prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to seek “urgent advice” on whether the breed should be banned.
But the Dog Control Coalition, a group which includes the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home and the Royal Kennel Club, said banning specific breeds was not the solution, pointing to “irresponsible breeding, rearing and ownership”.
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