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Number of UK Dog Attack Injuries Surge by 83 per Cent Since 2020
Police recorded 29,400 injury offences in 2025 as breeders marketed smaller pocket bullies to bypass the XL Bully ban, the Mirror found.
Police recorded at least 29,400 out-of-control dog attacks causing injury in 2025, equivalent to 81 daily incidents. This represents a five percent increase from 28,000 attacks in 2024 and an 80 percent rise since 2020.
Breeders are bypassing the XL Bully ban by marketing smaller, legal variants called 'pocket bullies'. Since restrictions came into force in 2024, demand has surged with online marketplaces flooded with listings for these genetically similar dogs.
Three-Month-Old Maggie-May Ann Moody died following an attack in Dormanstown on April 9. Amanda Holmes, whose five-year-old son Antonio was severely injured, said: 'The dog bit Antonio's face in two places and his thigh, he was in surgery for six hours.'
Dangerous dog assessor Jeffrey Turner warned 'Pocket bullys are smaller versions of the XL' and increasingly fall into criminal hands. Behaviorist Rob Alleyne argues authorities should prosecute irresponsible owners, not target specific breeds.
London recorded 2,530 attacks in 2025, the highest total nationwide, while Greater Manchester Police recorded 1,678 cases. These regional concentrations reveal specific urban areas facing the most severe public-safety challenges as attacks continue rising.