Since the death of 10-year-old Jack Lis there have been 15 devastating dog attacks in the UK – five involving children.
None of these killer pets were on the banned list of dangerous dogs.
Campaigners say the law is not “fit for purpose” and are demanding the Government ditch it.
Within weeks of Jack’s death, 18 months ago, another XL Bully had killed – this time a dad-of-five.
Adam Watts, 55, from Dundee, was a kennel owner who tried to help abused pets by gaining their trust.
The “gentle hero” was killed trying to retrain a dog that had attacked before.
It had been put into the care of Mr Watts’ kennels by police after being seized under warrant in August.
Then in January 2022, John William James, 65, described by his family as “loving and perfect”, was killed by three bulldog-type dogs in a cottage.
It is believed John, who had Down’s Syndrome, may have been having a seizure or heart attack when the dogs leapt on him in Lampeter, Wales.
March 2022 was a devastating month in which three children were killed.
Three-month-old Kyra Leanne King died in Woodhall Spa, Lincs, after a husky sled dog called Blizzard grabbed her neck and head.
At the time, locals claimed its owners regularly raced it and other huskies on converted ‘sleds’ after dark in a forest.
Kyra’s mum, Karen Alcock, 41, has admitted owning or being in being in control of a dog which was out of control, causing injury resulting in death. She is awaiting sentencing.
Then 17-month old Bella-Rae Birch was killed in St Helens, Merseyside by an American Bully XL.
Her family had allegedly bought the dog “for buttons” the week before.
The toddler’s mum, Treysharn Bates, said she “blacked out” during the “freak accident”. Their family dog snatched Bella-Rae out of her arms and she only remembers screaming for help.
Treysharn said: “I wish people would understand that this can happen to anybody, no matter what type of breed.
“Bella was never left alone and nothing made the dog snap.”
Lawson Bond died, aged two, suffered a cardiac arrest and died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital on March 30, two days after the incident at his home in Egdon, Worcestershire.
He was mauled to death by his family’s three rottweilers, nicknamed ‘the beasts’ by locals. They were destroyed.
On May 15 that year, three-year-old Daniel Twigg from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was killed by a Cane Corso outside a property.
Daniel went into cardiac arrest after he was attacked and an inquest found he suffered head and neck injuries. Police arrested a 48-year-old man under the Dangerous Dogs Act and the dog was put down.
Three women claimed they had been attacked in the same area.
Eight days later, 62-year-old Keven Jones was killed in Wrexham, North Wales, after being bitten by his son’s American Bully, Cookie.
He screamed “get off me” after the dog attacked his leg, leaving blood pumping out. Cookie was put down.
That July Joanne Robinson, 43, was repeatedly bitten in the neck by her Italian mastiff Rocco in Rotherham, South Yorks. Her mum called for a change in the law after her daughter was killed at home after a night out.
An inquest heard Joanne’s partner Jamie Stead had asked her to get the “Jekyll and Hyde dog” put down.
A month later, Ian Symes, 34, a dog trainer, was killed by an 8st 3lb American Bully XL called Kong.
A pal had bought it from travellers for £650 and he was taking it for a walk in Fareham, Hants, when it overpowered him and bit down on his neck causing catastrophic injuries.
In October Ann Dunn, 65, died after being attacked at a house in Liverpool. A coroner said she had been looking after family dogs and was likely attacked after trying to separate two that were fighting.
There were five American bulldogs, a smaller dog and a labrador puppy at her home. Son Stephen was arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control.
No action was taken and the dogs were destroyed.
Shirley Patrick, 83, died from her injuries 17 days after being attacked by a dog near Jack’s home in Caerphilly. The dog was and destroyed.
In January, Natasha Johnston, 28, from Caterham, Surrey was walking eight dogs when she was turned on in a frenzied attack. It is believed one was an XL Bully.
Alice Stones, four Milton Keynes, Bucks, died when she was attacked in her garden by the family pet, an XL Bully. It was shot by police.
Neighbours heard her mum scream after the dog attacked her only child. It is believed the dog was a cross between a pitbull and a husky.
In April, Wayne Stevens, 51, from Derby was killed by his brother’s dog.
Officers shot it dead and his brother, Gary, 53, was charged with being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog causing death.
Last week Jonathan Hogg, 37, from Leigh, Gtr Manchester, became the latest victim when he was mauled by an XL Bully type dog.
A woman was arrested and 15 dogs were seized.
Witness to pain too many times
By Lucy Thornton
I HAVE interviewed too many mums whose children have been killed in dog attacks and the agony in their eyes is there for all to see.
Jack’s mum is one of the few brave enough to speak out about her family’s heartache.
She wants lessons to be learned and she does not want anyone else to suffer the nightmare she did.
Her son had innocently gone to another house with his friend after school to play when he was killed by an XL Bully.
But other mums are too consumed with shame to speak about their ordeal – even though they too would love to see change.
They feel guilt because their child was killed by their own pet, the dog they looked after –
a dangerous dog that they brought into their
own home.
Instead of support and sympathy, many grieving parents are met with abuse as trolls use capital letters to scream their insults on news sites’ comment sections.
“A lot of these owners are wannabe gangsters,” one wrote under news of a fatality.
Another said: “The parents should be done for manslaughter, BANG the owners up and KILL the dogs.”
But if they could look into the eyes of any parent who has lost their child they would
see the devastating loss and instead of attacking innocent victims they too would demand change.
Whatever the circumstances, these parents all share the same pain.
Their son’s or daughter’s bedroom lies empty and every birthday, Christmas and special occasion is a recipe for sadness and a numbing reminder of the unfillable hole in their lives.
But as one of those thousands engaging
in the debate on social media said: “Nothing is going to happen with our dumbo Government.
“Dog attack after dog attack, but you can bet if an MP’s kid was badly mauled or killed there would be an all-out ban overnight.”
