- The attack occurred at Latchmere Recreation Ground on Friday, February 2.
- Police say the owner and dog have not yet been found.
A mother has said her two children are “lucky to be alive” after an unmuzzled XL bully launched an “unprovoked” attack at Battersea Park.
A woman and her one- and two-year-old children were attacked by a dog on Friday, February 2, when they entered a playground at Latchmere Recreation Ground in south London.
The woman, who asked not to be named, claims the XL Bree, once unleashed, “ran over the pram” containing her one-year-old daughter, flipped it over and bit the child.
The attack occurred just days after new laws came into force banning the breeding, sale and abandonment of the controversial breed. Starting in December, all XL Bully dogs must be kept on a leash and muzzle when in public.
The mother said she desperately tried to stop the “huge” animal and screamed for help as the dog’s owner ran from the other side of the park and tried to stop the animal.
Police arrived at the scene within minutes after a neighbor who witnessed the attack called 999.
The woman told the Express that officers were unable to find the man and his dog after they fled the area. Police say they have not yet found a suspect.
Both of her children suffered from bite marks, which doctors determined could be treated at home.
Since the incident, the mother said she has been “very nervous to leave the house,” and that the dog involved in the attack “wanted to kill people.”
She added: “There are a lot of families and a lot of dogs in Battersea. There are a lot of gangs and everyone is scared right now. Everyone is nervous to leave their homes.
“Crime has always existed, most of it was gang-related, but that’s not the case anymore. These dogs are so out of control that they’re on our doorsteps. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
The XL Bully breed is currently illegal to keep in England and Wales without an exemption certificate, and if unregistered owners can be taken to court and have their pets seized.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has revealed that around 40,000 dogs have been granted exemptions from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), allowing them to remain in local communities.
The ban came into force in early February and the public is being urged to report XL bullies who are breaking the law to 101.
The warning comes after 68-year-old grandmother Esther Martin was attacked and killed in east London on February 4 in an apparent attack by an XL Bully dog.