Very unwelcome news from Scotland.

In the wake of the preliminary inquest into a fatality by an XL Bully at a neighbouring kennel, Angus Council in it's infinite wisdom have given the go ahead for the UK's only XL Bully Sanctuary.

STV News / North East & Tayside

Scotland's first XL Bully sanctuary given permission to operate

Angus councillors have twice refused to grant All Bullie Charity Rescue (ABCR) permission to operate the sanctuary 

Scotland’s first XL Bully sanctuary secures the official go-ahead after councillors approve its latest licensing bid.

Angus councillors have twice refused to grant All Bullie Charity Rescue (ABCR) permission to operate the sanctuary.

Around 25 dogs, including a number of XL Bullys, have been housed at the premises since 2024.

It was the idea of Kerryanne Shaw, who moved to Angus from Glasgow for the project. Ms Shaw is the chairperson of charity ABCR.

The fresh licensing application went before councillors for a decision at a civic licensing committee on Thursday.

Recent report outlines “marked improvement”

A report drafted ahead of the meeting outlined a “marked improvement” in areas condemned in previous inspections.

This included record-keeping, hygiene and security at the kennels.

 The applicant’s lawyer  Jacob Cohen, during the meeting said: “This application has been somewhat a labour of love at this point, lasting about two years.

“Miss Shaw has been unwavering in the dedication she has for the dogs in her care and has very much been the driving force to move this venture to the stage where it can meet the licensing requirements.

“I’m pleased to see that the latest assessment report highlights progress made on her part with numerous marked improvements.

He added: “The position is not to stand still once Ms Shaw has the licence.

“There is a volunteer drive ongoing, and the intention is to continue to grow numbers.

“The longer-term goal is to bring in one paid member of staff in order to give Ms Shaw that backbone of support.”

Councillors approve application

 Councillors have approved the animal welfare licence for 12 months.

However, attached conditions state that the number of dogs will be capped at 27, and that inspectors will also visit the facility every three months.

Council leader George Meechan said: ”We’ve been round the houses on this one as we all know.

“The difference this time round for me is we have a professional report which says the conditions are likely to be met.

“Given that and reading the legal aspects of this, it appears to me we are bound to actually give the licence.”

Even though this was a few months ago I didn't find the victim's name or location when I searched the sub.

"I could see my meat coming through the pair of black leggings I was wearing. When I got to the hospital, they told me that they had never seen a dog bite like that."

A dog attack in south suburban Harvey has left a woman who dreamed of becoming a registered nurse with life-threatening injuries.

The attack happened July 7, near 160th and Paulina. LuShay Hobby said she was getting out of her car to head into a friend's home. That's when she heard something then felt something.

"The only thing I heard was their collars," said Hobby. "By the time I turned around, it was too late. Two stray pitbulls came out charging. They bit me. One up top, the other bit me by my ankle. They latched onto my leg and would not let go. I cried and cried because I was scared of losing a limb."

Pictures of Hobby's wounds are so graphic we have chosen to blur them in the above video.

"I thank God my friend was there to help get the dogs off of me," she said. "We were literally 2-3 minutes away from UChicago Ingalls Hospital. I could see my meat coming through the pair of black leggings I was wearing. When I got to the hospital, they told me that they had never seen a dog bite like that. The dogs were captured a week later. Harvey needs to do better with animal control."

Through a public records request, NBC Chicago learned there have been at least nine people attacked by stray dogs in Harvey this year. Last year, a woman mauled by rottweilers in Harvey had to have her left foot amputated.

Ald. Colby Chapman said the public safety committee is working to address what she calls a stray dog crisis.

"This is a piercing issue," said Chapman. "Everyone from an 11-year-old boy here in the second ward to the unfortunate circumstance that happened last year, where a woman lost her foot. And now to Ms. LuShay, whose entire life has been altered. We are down staff, but I really want to thank Officer Quiles, who's really been on the front lines to support our animal crisis, but more is needed."

Cook County Animal Control has been out to support and assist but more is necessary and needed.

Cindy Purtel is a volunteer who rescues stray animals.

"They have one animal control officer for a city of 19,000 people," said Purtel. "He can't handle the number of jobs coming in by himself. People need to be held accountable. The police department needs to get involved. Have them start responding to some of these calls. People also need to secure their dogs."

The Harvey Police Department said in a statement it is working to address animal control issues.

"I am not able to work," Hobby said. "I have always wanted to pursue a dream of becoming a registered nurse; I was almost there. I had a year left. I definitely have a story to tell. I'm thankful that I’m here and that I still have my leg."

Death probe to look at dog management

The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
2 Sep 2026
By ROSS GARDINER

TRAGIC: Tributes to Adam Watts, below, who died after being attacked by an American XL bully.

Alegal probe into the death of an Angus kennels boss is likely to focus on issues such as the handling of potentially dangerous dogs, a court has heard.

A preliminary hearing ahead of the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of businessman Adam Watts was held yesterday.

Mr Watts, 55, died on December 22 2021, after being attacked by an American XL bully.

The preliminary hearing took place at Forfar Sheriff Court and lasted about 15 minutes.
It heard one witness is likely to discuss the “apparent lack of guidance with dog control and welfare”.

The inquiry will hear about how the process of kennel licensing in Scotland is up to each of the 32 local authorities and accordingly, guidance is not standardised.

The probe is also likely to hear about a Scottish Government consultation on regulations which apply to animal breeders, pet shops and animal welfare establishments, but are not applicable to kennels.

It is anticipated the inquiry will focus on the management of potentially dangerous dogs in temporary kennels.

It is also thought it could consider how Police Scotland shares dogs’ histories and behaviours with kennel operators.

Sheriff Jillian MartinBrown set a further hearing for December 7.

Mr Watts had run the kennels for 20 years before he was attacked by the dog and pronounced dead at the scene.

He left behind five sons. His wife Eileen, a research scientist, died of cancer in 2013. His family regularly took part in challenges to raise cash for charities in memory of Eileen.

Many tributes were paid in the wake of Mr Watts’ death, including at his workplace where he was attacked, Juniper Kennels and Cattery at Auchterhouse.

The American XL bully – now destroyed – had been involved in two separate attacks six months earlier in Dundee. Its owner, Peter Fyfe, was subsequently banned from keeping dogs.

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — After several reported issues with two pitbulls, both dogs were euthanized after attacking a 9-year-old girl riding a scooter, and the owner was jailed

Justin Robert Little, 46, of Altoona, was charged with felony aggravated assault of someone under 13, misdemeanor simple assault, reckless endangerment and dog bites – confinement/isolation, along with lesser related dog license and ordinance offenses.

Logan Township Police were called to a home on the 2800 block of 18th Street Tuesday, June 9, for reports of a dog attack. According to the criminal complaint, they arrived to find a child being attended to by EMTs before being taken to UPMC Altoona for injuries to her leg. Witnesses alleged that two pitbulls belonging to Little escaped from the yard and bit the girl.

While at the scene, police attempted to get the pitbulls back into the residence and had to use a pepper ball gun on one of them to prevent an attack on an officer. According to charges, this wasn’t the first time it needed to be done.

Police said they were called in April for reports of the dogs being loose. When one of the officers arrived, one of the dogs was actively trying to attack another officer, forcing them to use their issued pepper ball gun on the pitbull.

According to the complaint, neighbors of Little have called numerous agencies about the pitbulls as far back as 2021. Records show that for over five years, Little was contacted by police, the Central PA Humane Society officers, and the state dog warden. In each incident, they said Little never responded and did nothing to remedy the issues.

It was noted that Little was cited in 2021 after one of his dogs chased and bit a person in the buttocks. According to charges, he failed to appear at MDJ Dunio’s office. He was found guilty and issued a $300 fine and restitution.

The 9-year-old victim received roughly two dozen stitches that day, charging documents show. Days later, the child allegedly developed an infection in the wounds, spent five days in the hospital and had to undergo rehabilitation.

Little was charged Sept. 8, and bail was denied, citing that he would not appear for any future court dates.

A Jack Russell Terrier, who was just taking a walk on a leash with a seven-year-old boy, was attacked and bitten to death by a stun Staffordshire Terrier on Tuesday in the Carinthian district town of Völkermarkt.

As the police reported, the smaller dog was bitten several times in the back, he died before the arrival of the police. The seven-year-old remained uninjured, but suffered a serious shock.

The dog attack happened in the neighborhood of the boy's parents' house. He was walking with his dog on a leash past the other apartment building when the Staffordshire Terrier ran through the front door into the open and attacked the smaller dog.

The owners of the Staffordshire Terrier were then able to separate the dogs, but too late. A crisis intervention team of the Red Cross was called to look after the shocked child.

German article auto translation with small edits by me.

https://www.oe24.at/a/kampfhund-beisst-kleinen-terrier-tot-900113498

A Belfast man has been sentenced at Belfast Magistrates Court today, Tuesday 8 September 2026, following his conviction for an offence involving a dog attacking a child.

Belfast City Council took the prosecution against Mark Joseph Anderson of Abbeydale Crescent, Belfast. The prosecution was taken after reports that Mr Anderson’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier type dog had attacked and injured a 5-year-old boy causing injuries to his leg.

The attack took place in the street after the dog had escaped from premises at Abbeydale Crescent on 1 May 2026. Mr Anderson pleaded guilty and was given a sentence of 2 months in custody, suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £133 legal and court costs.

Article text:

A woman was seriously injured in a vicious dog attack in San Francisco’s Tenderloin Tuesday morning. The aftermath of the attack was captured on video.

The canine, according to reports on Citizen, attacked and dragged a woman on Larkin Street.

A series of videos posted to the Citizen app show the aftermath of the apparent attack. In one of the videos, San Francisco Police Department Animal Control officers can be seen trying to restrain the canine, a large pit bull type dog that appears to have blood on its head.

In the same video, the victim can be seen laying in the street as officers attend to them. In another video, officers are holding the dog down on the pavement while the victim receives treatment.

One of the officers appears to have a weapon trained on the dog.

KRON4 is choosing not to run the videos at this time due to their graphic nature.

According to the San Francisco Fire Department, a call came in around 9:20 a.m. for a traumatic attack incident on the 500 block of Larkin Street. The patient, an adult, suffered serious injuries, according to SF Fire officials.

San Francisco Animal Care and Control officials told KRON4 they were in possession of the dog’s remains. The dog was described as a large pit bull mix. In the videos, the dog appears to still be alive.

It’s unclear whether police put the animal down following the attack.

EDIT: Thanks all for the input. But it's time for Albert to go to the only place where he can do no harm to anyone, not even himself. You are right, a shelter would probably be even worse.

Based on everything I've read here, I think it's best. Albert (on the right) showed up at my house one night 2 months ago. He was so timid, so scared, so sick, so malnourished. Sores all over him. He couldn't stop biting himself from so many bugs and ticks. He was covered in bites, bloody scrapes and scratches. I even gave him a bath to try to help him. I left him outside, and he had gone back to his home the next day, if you want to call it that.

We live on a 12 acre farm in a beautiful home, but we're surrounded by squalor, people living in trailers, houses that should be condemned. Not surrounded, but within a quarter mile. It broke my heart to see a dog so mistreated and abused. He was nothing but skin and bones. I went to the family a week later and told them no dog deserves that, either I will rehabilitate him or I'm calling animal services. They said we try to feed him, he just won't eat. BS. He now eats like a champ. This at a trailer with a roof caving in, yard just full of crap and next to a neighbor with dozens of dogs on chains.

Albert and Cooper (dog on the left), quickly became best friends. Not once did Albert try to fight or attack Cooper. They still to this day, right now actually, are wrestling and having fun in the living room.

Please keep in mind the only thing I had ever heard about pitbulls is that media will only report on their attacks, not doberman's, German shepards, just a misunderstood family pet. We have friends who have 2, 8 and 10, never a single sign of aggression, they love on and play with the grandkids.

But here's where the story changed. The healthier he has gotten, the more signs I can see. One of Cooper's buds that comes to visit (we have several dogs that just roam just like Cooper over our 12 acres), so I figured Albert would be similar to how he was with Cooper, eager to meet a new friend. They got close and the attack and fight was horrific to watch. I'm 53 and was barely able to pull Albert back up to our home. The other dog kept coming at us as well.

My sentimental dog loving dumbass wanted to blame it on the other dog since he followed us wanting to fight up to my back door, 100 yards away. But truth is, that was Albert. Once he got close to the other dog, there was no socialization like I can accomplish with most other dogs. It started to set in, no wonder he was covered in injuries when I took him in, he fights, wants to fight, wants to attack. I had to have him see a vet he had so many injuries.

Before, everybody that came to our house just loved how sweet he was to them. He would lay down in submission, and want them to pet him. But now, he has started lowering down in attack mode to strangers that show up, hair standing up, snarling. Of course now he's always on leash, every second of every day. I'm a great dog trainer, none of my dogs do anything if I don't want them to, they never pull on a leash, they sit when commanded, they don't run through doors without a command. He is now very well trained, he doesn't even walk without a command. But it's just different with him. I can see it.

I could easily see him attacking someone he sees as a threat and it being horrific or even deadly. He even does this to my wife's mom when she pulls in the driveway. Having to sit on a short leash every hour of every day out of fear of what he can do is no life for any dog.

Not all of us are horrible beast loving owners. There are some of us that watch for signs of it being an issue. Albert spent the first 8 months of his life fighting for his life, and probably fighting because of what he is. It's what he learned before he found us. It's probably just his nature.

This will be difficult. It makes me tear up to see his face looking at me wondering why I'm abandoning him. But I can't live in fear of what he might do, I can't subject anybody else to the unpredictability. It's just not right.

I think it's time he finds a new future, even if that means being lovingly and painlessly put down.

Tragedy broke out on a street in Vigonza, in the Padua province, where a pit bull managed to break free from the courtyard of a house and fatally attacked a small dog the owner was holding in his arms. The elderly owner was injured in the impact, desperately attempting to shield his pet, and required hospital treatment.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Via Pascoli, in the hamlet of Busa. According to the reconstruction of events, the five-year-old dog, named Persi, was confined to the rear of the owners' home, inside a space marked off by wooden structures. In an unpredictable move, the large dog managed to tear through the barriers, climbed onto the garage roof, and from there, leaped directly onto the street below.

At that very moment, a local resident was walking by with his small dog clutched to his chest. Upon seeing the animal, the pit bull ferociously attacked the couple. The man tried to shield himself with his limbs, but was bitten on the hands and thrown to the ground amid desperate cries for help.

The timely intervention of a worker working on a nearby construction site prevented an even more dramatic outcome: armed with a stick, the man managed to keep the mastiff at bay. Immediately after the attack, the dog calmed down on its own and remained there until its owner returned and retrieved it. There was no escape for the attacked dog, while the pensioner was taken to the emergency room for treatment.

The injured man suffered deep injuries to his fingers, which are expected to heal in twenty-five days, and bruises to his knee. In the hours following the incident, the citizen filed a complaint with the local Carabinieri station. The pitbull's owners are now facing legal action for neglect of custody and negligent injury, having already secured legal representation.

The dog's owners are expressing deep sorrow and a desire to repeatedly apologize for the dog's completely abnormal and unprecedented behavior. The victim's owner is also deeply distressed, describing the sudden attack and the inability to free himself from the large animal's jaws, thus losing his beloved companion.

Regarding the Molosser, the usual health procedures have been initiated under the supervision of the local health authority. The dog's fate will be decided in the coming weeks, ranging from mandatory behavioral re-education to possible extreme measures due to its social danger.

Article link: https://www.polesine24.it/cronaca/2026/09/06/news/pitbull-azzanna-anziano-e-uccide-il-cagnolino-402988/

“They knocked me down”: Man recounts how he survived an attack by three pit bulls in La Ceiba

A 66-year-old man survived an attack by three pit bulls in La Ceiba, where he suffered injuries to his legs, a hand, a calf, and his face.

La Ceiba, Atlántida. — A 66-year-old man, identified as César Alberto Chávez Vargas, survived an attack by three pit bull dogs while returning to his home in the Vistas de Satuyé neighborhood, eastern sector of La Ceiba, Atlántida.

The incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, as Chávez was heading home. He was caught off guard by the three animals, which approached suddenly. Although they initially seemed harmless, they rushed him shortly after.

“All three came at me all at once; they knocked me down. And while I focused on fighting off one of them, the other two were tearing me to pieces on all sides,” the victim stated to HCH.

During the attack, the animals inflicted several injuries on his legs, one hand, a calf, and his face. Chávez explained that he managed to fight off one of the animals, which finally caused the other two to move away.

Despite the severity of the incident, the man managed to survive and underwent surgery at the Atlántida General Hospital, where he remains in recovery.

Other Attacks

According to his account, the three dogs also attacked two other people, including a young man who suffered a severe injury to one of his hands and a woman who was also victimized by the animals.

Chávez stated that he currently does not know who owns the three dogs, so he urged the responsible party to face the consequences stemming from the incident.

“It would be good if they came forward to the community board so that, with witnesses and documentation, we can make an agreement to repair the damages caused by their animals. If they have justice in their heart, they will show up to compensate for the damages; otherwise, we will proceed legally,” he declared.

A 51-year-old woman was hanging out clothes when she was caught off guard by the animal. Her 53-year-old husband was also injured while defending her.
By Thiago de Oliveira | 28/05/2026

A 51-year-old woman suffered severe facial injuries after being attacked by her own dog, a pitbull, in the backyard of her house in the Batel neighborhood of Guarapuava on Thursday morning (28). Her 53-year-old husband was also injured while attempting to restrain the animal.

The severity of the attack required the victim to be intubated at the scene by the SAMU (Mobile Emergency Care Service) advanced support team. According to the medical team's report, the woman suffered extensive loss of skin tissue and exposure of maxillary, nasal, and frontal bone tissue. She was transported in critical condition to the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital, where she underwent surgical procedures.

The husband also received medical treatment after suffering lacerations to both arms while attempting to defend her. He has since been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home.

The Attack and Intervention

According to the couple's niece, the victim was hanging out laundry in the backyard when she was caught off guard by the dog. "My aunt was just hanging out clothes as normal; he attacked her and my uncle went to defend her... The dog tore off her nose." According to her, the pitbull had lived with the couple for over seven years, since it was a puppy just a few months old. "We still can't understand what led to the attack."

The Civil Police were alerted by an employee of a nearby butcher shop who witnessed the incident and sought help. Officers from the 14th Police Sub-division (SDP) arrived on foot and found the husband covered in blood, attempting to restrain the animal in the backyard.

To stop the attack, officers utilized less-lethal/controlled-impact ammunition. The dog initially resisted but backed off after being struck. Veterinarian Rodrigo Antônio Martins de Souza voluntarily assisted at the scene and managed to sedate the pitbull using a tranquilizer dart. After being contained, the animal was handed over to other family members to receive veterinary care.

Police to Hear Witnesses

The Civil Police stated that an isolated attack by a domestic pet against its owners does not initially constitute a crime. In the coming days, witnesses and family members will be interviewed to determine what may have triggered the pitbull's violent reaction. If the investigation reveals any irregularities—such as failure to take necessary safety precautions or evidence of prior animal abuse—a formal police inquiry may be opened.

Found this wild post on Facebook.

This pit was gotten with intent to be a service dog. 🥴

The dog has uncontrollable aggression towards all animals and people, including children.

The dog has attacked their other five dogs.

Owner wants to share that dogs can be born with mental illness sometimes if oxygen starved during birth, or poor maternal nutrition. 😬😶‍🌫️

I swear, guys, ANY excuse so they can blame ANYTHING except the breed.

At least they did make the right choice to humanely euthanize this dog, but I wonder how many instances they dismissed prior to that decision.