A woman in her 50s has tragically been mauled to death by her own XL Bully dogs on a street in East London. Armed officers were dispatched to a home in Hornchurch at approximately 1:12 pm following reports of a “critical incident.” Despite rapid response from firearms officers and London’s Air Ambulance, the woman could not be saved.
The incident occurred on Cornwall Close, a cul-de-sac where multiple police officers were seen entering late Monday evening. Residents from nearby Essex Gardens brought tea and coffee to officers who had been at the scene for over seven hours. One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “The dogs weren’t killed, they’ve taken them away. There’s been vans back and forth non-stop since lunchtime, and we saw the helicopter come over. You assume the worst and panic it’s kids or something. You never think a dog’s going to do that. It’s awful.”
As of 9 pm on Monday night, the entire length of Berkshire Way, the only road leading to Cornwall Close on Hornchurch’s County Park Estate, had been closed off to the public as a crime scene.
A Met Police spokesperson provided a statement: “The woman was treated by medics from London Ambulance Service, but sadly she was pronounced dead at the scene. Due to the threat posed, armed officers attended. After assessing the situation, officers were able to safely seize two dogs. These were registered XL Bully dogs and prior to officers’ arrival had been contained inside a room in the house. They did not leave the house at any time during the incident. The family of the woman, who was the owner of the dogs, are being supported by officers.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, an incident response officer, and London’s air ambulance. We treated a person but sadly, despite our efforts, they were pronounced dead at the scene.”
This tragic event comes amid new restrictions on XL Bully dogs, which were implemented on December 31 last year due to growing concerns about attacks involving the breed. Under these new laws, all XL Bully dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public. It is also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon, or allow XL Bully dogs to stray. These measures followed a series of fatal attacks, with 23 people in the UK dying in the three years leading up to the start of the ban.
