A Southern California man died after he was viciously attacked by his own three dogs; a breed of American bully known as XL bullies, named for their size and strength.
According to San Diego's Fox 5 News, the incident occurred in front of shocked and horrified onlookers at a children’s playground in Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park last Friday afternoon. Witnesses reportedly called 911 around noon to report the attack, and police officers arrived on the scene to find a man being "bitten repeatedly" by the three dogs. It's unclear what caused the dogs to turn on their owner, but a child accompanied by the victim was unharmed.
Steve Marto, a witness who lives across the street from the park, said he first thought police were attempting to detain a person when he saw the commotion.
"I just saw they had something trapped in the weeds over here. I thought it was a person at first because they were talking about setting up a perimeter," Marto explained, before realizing the officers were trying to get three dogs under control. "They were big, like XL bullies, just massive muscle."
Other bystanders at the scene tried to intervene by hitting the dogs with shovels and other objects, such as a golf club that was found at the scene. A second victim also sustained serious bites while trying to help the owner, and was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Finally, officers were successful in breaking up the attack by using a taser on the dogs, which then ran away.
"The officer was able to break up the dogs," said Sgt. Matthew Hone. "They fled, and the injured male was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries." The victim's sister confirmed that he died from his injuries at the hospital.
Authorities quickly captured two of the dogs, but a third managed to escape, prompting a lockdown at a nearby elementary school. The loose dog was later found at the owner's home near the park.
The three dogs were then signed over to San Diego Humane Society by an unnamed second owner, who agreed to have them euthanized. "Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” said a Humane Society spokesperson.
In December 2023, the United Kingdom added XL bullies to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, making it illegal to sell, breed, or abandon the dogs, as well as have them in public without a lead and muzzle. The breed was responsible for 10 out of 19 dog-related deaths in the UK between 2021 and 2023; in some of those cases, incidents in which the dogs also turned on their owners.
NHS consultant Richard Baker told the BBC that XL bullies can inflict more damaging wounds than other similar breeds due to their powerful jaws that can break bones, shred flesh, and cause nerve damage. "It's a crushing or a tearing injury. Once they grip, they don't let go," Baker said.
