Five dogs seized after Wallsend dog attack turn out NOT to be XL Bullies

Dogs seized by police following a dog attack in North Tyneside on Saturday are no longer believed to be XL Bully breeds, Northumbria Police have confirmed, despite widespread media reporting that it was the case.

Five dogs were seized following reports that a 29-year-old woman and her two dogs had sustained severe injuries in the back yard of a property on Sydney Grove, in Wallsend, at around 11pm on Saturday. Officers originally suspected two of the dogs to be XL Bully breeds, and it was reported as such by media on a local and national level.

However, following further assessment, police now do not believe any of the dogs to be XL Bullies, but can confirm three of those still in police care are mixed Bull Breeds. One of the dogs seized after the incident has since been returned home.

On reporting the incident, SGM correctly took the precaution of not stating the breed of the dog involved, in recognition of people’s sensitivities and moreover, on correctly identifying a growing sensationalist trend in the media at large which jumps to the conclusion that every single dog attack is automatically from an XL bully.