Baby Killed by Family XL Bully in South Wales

A nine-month-old baby boy died after being attacked by a family dog, identified by police as a six-year-old male black XL Bully, at a home in Crossway, Rogiet, Monmouthshire, South Wales, on Sunday evening.

Emergency services responded to the address around 6 p.m. following reports of the attack. Paramedics arrived quickly but pronounced the infant dead at the scene. The dog, which belonged to the family, was sedated, seized by officers, removed from the property, and later euthanized by a veterinarian.

Gwent Police confirmed the animal had been registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and received a certificate of exemption in 2024, allowing legal ownership despite a nationwide ban on the breed that took full effect on February 1, 2024. Under the regulations, owning an XL Bully without such certification is a criminal offense. The exemption was granted proactively before the ban, at a time when owners were not required to formally verify the breed during registration. Police noted that only a designated dog legislation officer or court-approved independent assessor can officially determine a dog's breed in cases involving suspected banned types.