Horror as toddler, 3, is mauled by his family’s pet XL Bully & left ‘seriously bleeding’ after being bitten on face
A TODDLER has been mauled by his family's XL Bully.
The three-year-old was left "seriously bleeding" after the pet hound sunk its teeth into his face.
The beast, which was registered following the breed ban, attacked the little boy when he tried to climb on the mutt.
After the horror at a property in Doncaster on Monday, the youngster was rushed to hospital for surgery.
Cops raced to the scene around 1.15pm where the dog was seized.
It currently remains in kennels as the force carry out their investigation.
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South Yorkshire Police's chief inspector, Emma Cheney said despite the dog being registered, it doesn't remove the highly dangerous nature they have.
She said: “This family have acknowledged the change in legislation around the XL Bully and registered their dog, but this doesn’t remove the danger that these dogs pose and why the ban has come into place.
“All dogs can be aggressive - they are animals. But some dogs have greater capability to cause harm due to their size and strength.
Dangerous Dogs Act explained
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised "to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs" by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog's breed or looks instead of an individual dog's behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.
What does the XL Bully ban mean?
It is now illegal to breed, sell, advertise or rehome the hounds.
If you own one, you should have a certificate of exemption from the government.
They should be kept on a lead and be muzzled in public as well as having them neutered and having third party liability insurance.
"Children should never be unsupervised when with dogs, even family pets that you believe ‘would never hurt’ your children.
“A dog’s instinct to protect itself is to bite. Parents should ensure children learn to respect a dog’s space and be encouraged to have boundaries around feeding and resting times."
It comes after PM Rishi Sunak introduced a ban on the breed last year.
XL Bullies are deemed illegal - unless already registered - as of February 1, 2024.
Anyone found in possession of an XL Bully and is not meeting the strict rules will have their dog taken away and faces prosecution and a criminal record.
It comes after a spate of fatal attacks - with one man dying after being savaged by an XL bully last year.
The Government believes there have been 11 deaths linked to XL Bullies in the last three years, but even more have been hurt in horror attacks.
Fatal XL Bully attacks
Ian "Scouse" Langley, 54, was protecting his puppy when the animal pounced on him outside a home in Sunderland in October 2023.
Ian Price, 52, was viciously savaged in September 2023 by the beasts as he tried to protect his elderly mum from them after they escaped.
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed in May 2023 entered the dog's pen when it went for him, leaving bite wounds on his arm, leg and head.
Natasha Johnston, 28, was mauled to death while walking a pack of dogs in January 2023 was believed to have been killed by her own pet - an American Bully XL.
Shirley Patrick, 83, died 17 days after being mauled in a “hellish”, violent dog attack in December 2022.
Ian Symes, 34, who was known to friends as "Wiggy", died at a recreation ground in Fareham, , after the savage attack in August 2022.
Joanne Robinson, 43, was fatally mauled by pet Rocco at her home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in July 2022.
Keven Jones, 62, went into cardiac arrest after being bitten by Cookie-Doe at Chanel Fong's home in Wrexham, North Wales in May 2022.
Bella-Rae Birch, one, was mauled to death in March 2022 at her home by the American Bully XL.
, 10, was killed by a hulking XL Bully dog named Beast in November 2021 as he played at friend's home in Caerphilly.