A year after his seven-year-old daughter Lydia was attacked by an XL bully, Matt, her father, still grapples with the question: why would anyone want to own such a dog? The terrifying incident, which occurred when Lydia and Matt were out posting a letter, has left a lasting emotional and physical mark on the family.
The attack unfolded in an instant when Matt spotted the XL bully, which had escaped from a neighbor’s yard. Within moments, the dog latched onto Lydia’s arm, biting her multiple times. Matt recalls the fear and adrenaline as he struggled to prevent the dog from further harming his daughter, even resorting to lying on top of the animal in a desperate bid to stop it. Lydia was eventually hospitalized, though Matt was left to ponder a far more horrific reality — that he could have lost his daughter.
The aftermath was equally challenging, as Lydia developed a deep fear of dogs, especially those resembling the one that attacked her. Her father, while grateful for her recovery, has continued to question the reasoning behind the ownership of such powerful dogs. Seeking answers, Matt reached out to BBC News and was introduced to Lily Collins, an XL bully owner who has raised a dog named Doug with care and training, hoping to change the stigma surrounding the breed.
Their meeting took place in a secure dog field, with Doug under strict control. Matt, still visibly uneasy, expressed his concerns, asking Lily why anyone would choose a breed that could potentially cause such harm. Lily, however, emphasized that the temperament of an XL bully, like any dog, is determined by how it is raised and trained. She acknowledged that her dog was powerful but insisted that Doug would never intentionally hurt anyone.
The XL bully breed, banned in the UK since February 2024 without an exemption certificate, has sparked intense debate. Lily, who rescued Doug from a backyard breeder, argued that without her intervention, Doug might have ended up in the wrong hands. She described the attack on Lydia as “heartbreaking” and criticized the negligence that allowed the dog to escape its owner’s yard.
While Matt was able to see Doug’s gentle side during their meeting, he remained conflicted, concerned that the XL bully’s imposing physical presence could still pose a risk. Lily, in contrast, insisted that Doug was not a weapon or a status symbol but simply a beloved family pet.
As of the ban, there are over 57,000 XL bullies in the UK, with estimates suggesting that up to 100,000 could be unregistered. Both Matt and Lily have called for stricter dog licensing laws to ensure that all dog owners, particularly those with powerful breeds, are held accountable for their animals’ behavior. The RSPCA has renewed its calls for such schemes to tackle dangerous dog ownership more effectively, although the government has so far refrained from introducing new licensing requirements.
Despite the challenges, Matt left the meeting with a slightly softened perspective. He admitted that hearing Lily’s story and seeing Doug in a controlled environment made him more comfortable, though the scars from his daughter’s attack will never fade. He acknowledged that the debate surrounding XL bullies is complicated and personal, with both sides holding valid points in the ongoing discussion about dog ownership and safety.
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