Charges have been brought against a man and a woman after an eight-year-old boy was reportedly bitten on the head by an XL bully in Bootle, Merseyside. The police were called to the scene just after 5:20 p.m. on Saturday whereupon the child was rushed to the hospital with life-changing injuries. The young boy is said to be in stable but serious condition.
The dog, which was the source of the attack, was confiscated and was subsequently put down. Amanda Young, 49, and Lewis Young, 30, both of Wadham Road in Bootle, have been charged for being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control and caused injury. The two suspects are not related to the victim and will appear before the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court next week.
The police have spoken to witnesses in a communal area of some flats in Wadham Road, where the incident occurred. Det Insp Gary Stratton, from Merseyside Police, has reassured the public that the victim is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, described as life-changing. The police have called on the public to report any dangerous dogs in their area to enable preventive action to be taken.
New rules concerning the owning of American XL bully dogs have been put in place in recent times in England and Wales, and will soon be implemented in Scotland later this year. The rules stipulate that it is illegal to own this type of dog without an exemption certificate, and the dogs have to be registered, leashed, and muzzled when in public.
This event exacerbates the potential danger of dogs, Det Insp Stratton stated, emphasizing that it serves as a stern cautionary tale concerning the potential hazards of dogs
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