“It’s not a DNA test, it’s a description,” says Connolly.

Proving that a particular dog belongs to a banned breed is difficult because the legal definition is based on physical characteristics. They can stand up to 50cm tall and weigh as much as 65kg.” “Bully XLs have been bred relatively recently by people who want a larger, stronger American bulldog. She regularly acts as an expert witness in court cases involving dogs who have injured people or other canines. “The Bully XL is not recognised as a breed, it’s just a type of American bulldog,” explains dog behaviourist Debbie Connolly. Earlier this month an American Bully was linked to an attack near Wrexham, in North Wales, which left 22 pregnant sheep dead.

And the dog has not just been attacking people. This year, there have been at least five fatalities so far and all were from Bully attacks. Six of those cases involved American Bullies. Between 20 there were an average of 3.3 fatalities per year, but in 2022, 10 people were killed, including four children. In the past two years, the number of fatal dog attacks in the UK has increased dramatically. The Prime Minister said he had brought ministers, police and experts together with a target to “outlaw” the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act as a matter of urgency. Rishi Sunak has since vowed to ban American XL Bully dogs by the end of the year after another fatal attack.

Police later confirmed it was an American Bully XL cross who randomly went on the attack in Birmingham last Saturday – another man and an 11-year-old girl were also injured in the incident. A man in shorts and a T-shirt screams in agony on a petrol station forecourt as he tries in vain to fight off a dog almost as big as he is.

Muzzle for barking control