Pet spaniel killed by American Bully in Stratford leaves owner heartbroken

In the first incident, a Stratford resident – who asked not be named – said she fought to save her spaniel which was attacked during a walk in fields between Loxley Road and Banbury Road on 23rd July.

She described how a Bully XL appeared out of nowhere and ripped into her spaniel, clamping its jaws around the dog’s throat and killing it instantly.

The dog owner was horrified by the ferocity of the attack which left her covered in pet’s blood as she tried to protect the dog.

Despite support from family and friends, she said she still finds it difficult to be at home with her partner, surrounded by memories of their dog which they’d had for one year and nine months.

“He was the kindest soul, very focused on smells and running around on a walk,” she said. “We couldn’t have had a nicer natured dog that showed more affection. He was one year and 11 months old.”

Describing the attacked, she added: “We approached a 90-degree corner where there is some metal builder’s fencing, it was then this dog appeared from nowhere and grabbed my dog by the throat straight away. He briefly let out some yelps and I began trying to fight this dog off as his owner was running up behind towards us.

“I kept fighting with this dog but before I knew it the owner had gone and I was on my own, with witnesses watching from behind the fencing due to being in fear of the attacking dog.

“I was alone fighting with a dog heavier than myself , trying to get it off my small cocker spaniel. My partner then appeared running up the path after hearing me scream from across the estate. He took over trying to get the attacking dog to release our dog when a witness passed him a hammer and he began to beat the dog whilst I was waiting and holding our dog’s waist to pull him free.

“Eventually it did [release our dog] after several impacts of the hammer to its head. I grabbed our pet and ran.”

The woman and her partner headed to the vets to get help.

The Bully XL, she added, could not be controlled by the owner because of its size and strength.

She continued: “As hard as we fought to save [our dog] we were informed by the vet that the XL Bully had gotten his jugular and that it would’ve been no longer than one minute [before he was killed]. We were obviously hopeful but on reflection our lovely dog was killed at the scene.”

The spaniel owner said she had not encountered the other dog before but was told it had been destroyed.

“They are dangerous and often owned as a status symbol by people who cannot appropriately train them or control them,” she said. “You should not own one of these dogs if you are going to weigh less than them and can’t physically hold it. They should always be muzzled and they are an unpredictable breed.”

Three weeks after the attack, the dog owner said things just won’t feel the same again without her loving friend.

“Our dog was our entire world and that has been shattered. We were encouraged by friends and family to discuss the incident which helped with the trauma, but we do not believe that we have yet began to grieve properly due to the ongoing criminal proceedings.”

She added: “On reflection, it is believed that my dog saved my life that day. Unfortunately, if it wasn’t for my spaniel that dog would’ve attacked another dog or even a human, including the numerous children that play on the estate.”

The Bully XL, which is not banned in Britain, is related to the Pit Bull Terrier which is illegal along with a number of other breeds included in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

To date, five people have been killed by dog attacks this year and in 2022 ten people were killed after being attacked by a dog.

In a separate incident, three cygnets were killed by dogs next to the River Avon on Saturday morning (6th August).

The dogs – thought to be grey spaniels – were filmed mauling the young swans which were on a piece of grass close to Tramway Bridge and Swan’s Nest Lane.

The terrified birds could not get to the safety of the river as the attack intensified, leaving two dead at the scene and a third destroyed later.

Swan warden, Cyril Bennis, said he was horrified by the attack and not seen anything like it in over 40 years of caring for the Stratford’s swan population.

“The dogs were tearing at the young swans as their mother called for them from the river, but they were trapped by fencing. Two were killed and I took a third to the Ark Veterinary Practice but the injuries were so severe it had to be put to sleep. I had tears in my eyes when I saw what happened,” said Mr Bennis.

He was not present when the attack took place at 7.24am, but believes the cygnets would have huddled together to protect themselves.

The attack was captured on film. It lasts one and a half minutes and towards the end of the video a male – thought to be the dogs’ owner - intervenes and ushers the animals away.

Mr Bennis added: “There are lots of honest dog owners who walk by the river and who are our eyes and our ears on the Recreation Ground, and they keep their dogs on a lead. But the individual on Saturday took one and a half minutes before he did anything with his dogs. The dogs were uncontrollable. What if that had been a child?”

Chris Best, of Stratford Boat Club, was by the river at the time of the attack and was horrified by the ferocity of what he witnessed.

“I noticed something happening and took a closer look,” he said. “I could see two dogs savaging the young swans. The dogs were not on a leash and out of control, so I rushed over from the boat club and remonstrated with the dogs’ owner. Having pulled his dogs off the cygnets he said ‘poor little buggers’. He did not stop and left an umbrella behind.”

“It was a horrible and unnecessary situation,” Mr Best added. “The owner should have had them on a lead. From the boat club’s point of view, I’m relieved our 14-year-olds were not subjected to watching cygnets being torn to pieces.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This is a very upsetting and sad incident and must be especially distressing for those who live locally and enjoy the swans every day.

“It’s vitally important that dog owners keep their pets under control around wildlife to prevent tragic situations like this.

“We would like to speak with the dogs’ owners about this situation if possible. They can come forward by calling our inspectorate appeal line number on 0300 123 8018.”