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| Man and woman charged after boy bitten by XL bully in Bootle | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| New laws for owning American XL bully dogs have recently come into force (stock image) | New laws for owning American XL bully dogs have recently come into force (stock image) |
| A man and a woman have been charged after an eight-year-old boy was bitten on the head by an XL bully, police say. | |
| Officers were called to Bootle, Merseyside, just after 17:20 GMT on Saturday after a report that the dog had bitten a child. | |
| The boy was taken to hospital with "life-changing" injuries, where he remains in a serious but stable condition, Merseyside Police said. | |
| Officers seized the dog, which was later destroyed. | |
| Amanda Young, 49, and Lewis Young, 30, both of Wadham Road in Bootle, have been charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury. | |
| The pair, who are not related to the victim, have been remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Monday. | |
| Police were called after the eight-year-old was attacked near Wadham Road, Bootle | Police were called after the eight-year-old was attacked near Wadham Road, Bootle |
| Officers said they had spoken to witnesses of the attack in the communal area of some flats in Wadham Road. | |
| Det Insp Gary Stratton, from Merseyside Police, said: "I want to reassure people that [the boy] is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing." | Det Insp Gary Stratton, from Merseyside Police, said: "I want to reassure people that [the boy] is receiving the best possible care and treatment for his injuries, which are described as life-changing." |
| The force added: "Officers attended and seized the dog - an XL Bully - which was humanely destroyed later on Saturday with the agreement of the owner." | |
| New rules for owning American XL bully dogs have recently come into force in England and Wales, and will be implemented in Scotland later this year. | New rules for owning American XL bully dogs have recently come into force in England and Wales, and will be implemented in Scotland later this year. |
| It is illegal to own one without an exemption certificate, and registered dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. | It is illegal to own one without an exemption certificate, and registered dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. |
| Det Insp Stratton said: "This case highlights in the starkest terms the potential dangers of dogs, and I would appeal to anyone with information about dangerous dogs in their area to contact us so that we can take pro-active action." | |
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| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| XL bully | XL bully |
| Merseyside Police | Merseyside Police |
| Bootle | Bootle |