How XL Bullies became such dangerous dogs

IN 2021, WHILE visiting a friend’s house in the Welsh town of Caerphilly, ten-year-old Jack Lis was fatally attacked by a dog called Beast. It mauled him so severely that Jack’s mother could identify her son’s body only from his shoe.

According to British government statistics, such fatal attacks are on the rise. After decades with an average annual dog-attack fatality rate below three, the number rose to six in 2022 and 16 in 2023 (see chart). Bully Watch UK, a group set up in June 2023 to gather evidence on the problem, attributes most deaths since that of Jack Lis to attacks by suspected Extra Large or ‘XL’ American Bully dogs, or crosses with them.