A nine-month-old baby boy is dead after a horrific XL bully attack in South Wales on Sunday evening.
Two people have been arrested after emergency services were called to an address in Crossway, Rogiet, following a report of an attack by a family dog.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, and Gwent Police have since confirmed two people are in custody, on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in death.
They’ve since been released on police bail as inquiries continue.
The dog involved in the incident was a six-year-old XL bully, which was registered with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and had a certificate of exemption from 2024.
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Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend said: ‘The arrests were made as part of a wide range of enquiries that officers are carrying out to understand the circumstances of the death.
‘These enquiries are still ongoing, and so you will continue to see officers in the area. If you have any information or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
‘I understand that there is a lot of interest about this in our communities, but this is now a live criminal investigation.
‘It is vital that people think about how their online commentary, in particular social media comments or posts, could impact the ongoing investigation and the criminal justice process.
‘We urge people not to speculate. If you have any information, including information on the dog involved – a male, black XL bully – and its previous behaviour, please contact us directly instead.’
A ban on XL Bullies in England & Wales came into full effect on 1 February 2024, meaning it is a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate.
The BBC reported that data from 19 police forces in England and Wales show that in the first eight months since the ban, 1,991 suspected banned dogs had been seized.
With kennels becoming overcrowded and costing millions, 818 dogs had been destroyed since the ban came in, more than double that in 2023.
Locals speculated that loud fireworks could have triggered the family dog.
Peter Strong, Monmouthshire County Councillor for the Rogiet ward, said ‘the community is very much in mourning’ and that there is ‘a profound sense of shock’.
He added: ‘Clearly, our thoughts are with the family, to lose a baby in these circumstances, a thing of deep joy and love, to have that taken away from you… It’s unbelievably awful.
‘I’d like to appeal to the community to remain calm and give the police a chance to do their work and to give the family the chance to grieve in peace.’
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