A man who advocated for XL Bullies amid the upcoming ban on the violent dog breed has been mauled by one.
Ben Cźyżyk from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, was attacked at around 10pm on Friday, September 22.
Ben had asked the dog's owner to get it under control as it was off its lead. However, the owner allegedly set the XL Bully on Ben before also joining to attack the 38-year-old father-of-three.
Ben was left with puncture wounds and deep bruising following the incident. He also has 12 fractures in one eye socket.
He had previously spoken out against banning the breed. While he does not own an XL Bully, he is a dog owner.
He previously said online: “Any breed can be taught to be aggressive. It's time we quit blaming the wrong end of the leash.”
Police are reportedly still working to track down the dog and its owner.
Ben told MailOnline: “I was out and about enjoying my evening when I came across a very vicious dog owner.
“When asked to put his dog on a lead he proceeded to tell his dog to attack which he also did.
“I think I got a couple of defensive shots in but I was no match for an XL Bully and his vicious owner. Thank you to all the hospital staff who helped me.”
Ben was walking his dog with his family at the time. A relative claimed the whole family has been left "shaken" by the incident. They added that he is now recovering, but they still do not think that the breed should be banned.
They said: “They need to be registered and looked after properly. These dogs shouldn't be used as weapons and that's what this user was using his as - a weapon.”
West Midlands Police confirmed it was investigating the case.
A spokesperson said: “Officers attended and found the man in his 30s with injuries to his face and leg.
“Thankfully they are not believed to be life-changing. He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital for further checks.
“We are continuing with house-to-house enquiries and reviewing CCTV and doorbell footage from the area as part of our on-going investigation.”
The UK Government has made their mind up about banning the American XL Bully. The ban is due to come into action at the end of the year under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
