Figures show 400 XL bully dogs have been euthanised since the breed type was banned, as a neighbour of the woman killed by her dogs on Monday said they had warned their child the animals were dangerous.
The woman, in her 50s, named locally as Angel Mahal, was mauled to death by her two XL bully dogs at her home in Hornchurch, east London, on Monday afternoon.
Neighbours said they saw emergency medical teams administering CPR to the dog owner while the street was evacuated after the fatal attack.
Police said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the two dogs, which were registered under the exemption process, were seized after being contained in a room.
On Tuesday, a blue forensic tent had been erected outside the woman’s home, where a sticker in the window read: “Never mind the dog. Beware the kids”.
One neighbour, Sejal Solanki, said she had warned her child not to go near the XL bully dogs. “I said ‘Don’t ever touch those dogs. They’re dangerous’,” she told the PA news agency.
The Sun reported that relatives had asked the woman, who they described as “loved by everyone”, to get rid of the animals before the tragedy.
Figures released via a freedom of information request show that 400 compensation claims have been made for the euthanasia of XL bully dogs in England and Wales since the ban came in to force on 1 February.
In total, £76,500 has been paid to owners who opted to have their pets put down.
Figures also show 57,277 exemption certificates have been issued to owners who want to keep their pet, on the condition it is neutered, microchipped and kept on a muzzle and lead when in public.
The data shows that previous estimates of the number of XL bullies in the UK have been too low. The government said there were thought to be 10,000, a figure increased to about 50,000 earlier this year.
Some animal charities have said the number could be as high as 100,000, meaning tens of thousands of dogs remain unaccounted for.
The ban came into force this year after a sharp rise of fatal dog attacks, many involving XL bullies, in the UK.
But animal welfare charities, including the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Blue Cross, have consistently argued banning breeds does not work and other measures are needed to stop fatal dog attacks.
“We were saddened to hear about yesterday’s incident, and our thoughts are with the family of the lady who died,” said a spokesperson for the Dogs Trust.
“Dogs Trust has been calling on government to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act as it is ineffective and does little to protect members of the public. We urgently need effective legislation that allows for early intervention, with a focus on the prevention of dog bite incidents across all types of dogs”
They added that better monitoring of puppy breeding and selling was needed, as well as mandatory licensing for dog sales.
