Young girl receives lifetime scar after dog attack amid call for breed ban
Mother of the mauled child supports a law requiring muzzling these dogs in public if a ban is not enacted
September 14, 2023
A brave mother saved her four-year-old daughter from a vicious XL Bully dog attack that left the child scarred for life.
Amy Hobson, 32, took swift action when her daughter, Luna Forsyth, was brutally attacked by the big dog while they were at a friend's house in April.
Luna's injuries were so severe that she required plastic surgery and received 40 stitches on her face. Doctors confirmed she would be left with permanent facial scars for a lifetime.
Amy Hobson, who displayed incredible courage during the incident, has joined forces with Home Secretary Suella Braverman to advocate for a ban on XL Bully dogs, citing serious safety concerns for communities, especially children.
Luna, once a bubbly and confident child, has been deeply traumatised by the incident and is now terrified of dogs.
"If I hadn't managed to free Luna from the clutches of the dog, the outcome could have been far worse," said Amy, reflecting on the terrifying incident. "When I heard Luna scream, I knew something was terribly wrong."
Amy believes that banning the XL Bully breed is the best way to ensure the safety of our communities, especially our children. If a ban proves elusive, she insists that laws be enacted to require these dogs to be muzzled in public spaces.
Her call for action gained momentum after a recent horrifying incident captured on video, where a man was chased by a crazed dog moments after it had mauled a child.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has described the XL Bully breed as a "clear and lethal danger" to our communities, particularly our children. She has taken steps to seek urgent advice on potentially banning these dogs.
It's worth noting that tensions escalated between Amy Hobson and the dog's owner after they allegedly concealed the dog and refused to surrender it to the police for over 24 hours following the attack.
The responsibility for adding XL Bully dogs to the banned list lies with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and it appears that swift action is needed to prevent more devastating incidents like Luna's from occurring.
