A FAMILY dog that mauled a nine-month-old baby boy was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.
The tragedy unfolded in Crossway, Rogiet, Monmouthshire, South Wales, at around 6pm on Sunday when emergency services were called to reports of a dog attack inside a home.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, but the baby was pronounced dead shortly after their arrival.
Gwent Police said the dog involved was a six-year-old XL Bully, which had been registered with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and granted a certificate of exemption earlier this year.
The animal has since been seized and removed from the property.
Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend said: “While the dog in this case was registered as an XL Bully, it was done so proactively before the ban came into effect.
“In preparation for the new law, when requesting a certificate of exemption, owners were not required to formally identify the dog’s breed.
“In cases where a suspected banned breed is involved only a DLO (dog legislation officer) or a court-approved independent assessor can make an official determination.
“No arrests have been made at this time, and this is still an ongoing investigation, and official identification of the dog was necessary.
“We understand that there is a significant amount of interest and concern about this incident, and we have seen the community rally together in this difficult time.
“It is our responsibility as a police service to ensure that the death of a baby boy is fully investigated and so we again urge people to be responsible, and to consider the impact that speculation, rumour and commentary can have on the family and on the integrity of our investigation.
“Where possible, we will continue to update our communities, but in the meantime if you have any concerns, please contact us.”
