A dog lover has told how he was forced to throttle an XL Bully in self-defence as it attacked him in a west London park.
Gualberto Ramirez, 49, suffered deep bite wounds to his hand and wrist in the attack, which happened at Wormwood Scrubs park on the evening of May 9.
He approached a bench where a man and woman were sitting, by a Pomeranian-type dog and an XL Bully that had no lead or muzzle, he told MyLondon.
Under new laws introduced at the end of last year following a worrying rise in XL Bully attacks, the dogs must now be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.
Mr Ramirez said he made eye contact with one of the owners as he approached the bench, and the XL Bully began “charging” towards him.
He initially thought it was bounding over to say hello, and tried to pet the animal.
"I realised it was not stopping, it was coming to get me," Mr Ramirez said.
"I saw the aggression. It was in defence mode. All of this happened so quickly. It chomped on my right hand.
“Once it released my hand, I then grabbed the dog by the neck with both my hands and that disabled him in a way.”
The owners put a leash on the dog, while the woman reportedly asked Mr Ramirez: “Why did you come out of nowhere?”
"It was scary,” Mr Ramirez said. “It's just one of those things I would never expect to happen to me, being a dog lover. It's really upsetting.
“I was angry at the owners immediately in that moment, because I felt like the dog was just doing what the dog does."
Mr Ramirez said the couple then left the scene, while he searched in vain for his glasses which had been knocked off in the attack.
Following a five-hour wait in A&E at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, he was given a tetanus shot and a course of antibiotics, and was asked to return the following day so his wounds could be thoroughly cleaned under general anaesthetic.
He was still experiencing pain and numbness when he spoke about his ordeal, weeks later.
Mr Ramirez said he is concerned by the ongoing number of XL Bully attacks, and the number of owners who appear to be flouting the new legislation designed to prevent them.
“I feel it's a real issue,” he said. “I see other XL bully dogs being walked with no muzzle on. Why is the legislation not working? Why have there been other attacks? It's still a hot topic that needs to be worked out.”
He reported the incident to the Met police, which is understood to be investigating.
The force has been approached by the Standard.
