Baby girl savaged by XL Bully 'while visiting her great-grandmother'

A baby girl airlifted to hospital after being attacked by an XL Bully had been visiting her great-grandmother at the time, a neighbour said.

The eight-month-old, named by relatives as Arabella Williams, had been taken to see great gran Pamela Williams on Wednesday afternoon.

The dog - called Hunter - is understood to be owned by the tot's 18-year-old uncle and Mrs Williams grandson, who is currently living with her at her end terraced home in Hawkinge, Kent.

Arabella was airlifted to King's College Hospital in south London. The dog was euthanised at the property, which remained sealed off by police standing guard outside on Thursday.

The neighbour told MailOnline: 'Arabella was taken to her great grandmother's house by her mum. The mum lives in Folkestone with her partner but visited her grandmother [Wednesday] afternoon.

'Staying with the gran is the little girl's uncle, who owns the dog. The dog is apparently a kind of support dog for him. 

'Nobody knows why but the dog snapped and attacked Arabella and she was airlifted to hospital in London. The last I heard she was improving but her condition is still serious. We are praying she pulls through.'

The attack comes a year after Hunter's owner refused to hand the dog over when police wanted to destroy the XL Bully.

Police had seized Hunter in Hawkinge in November 2023 following a report that its owner had been bitten on the finger, causing a minor injury.

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: 'The owner was asked to voluntarily surrender the dog to officers for destruction, but declined to do so. 

'There were no legal grounds for officers to retain the dog in the circumstances, but the owner was asked to agree to accept the conditions of a police order which included keeping the dog secure and supervised.'

Following the attack, the tot's great aunt Stephanie Coombs, 33, said she is in a stable condition in the intensive care unit but it has been 'touch and go'. 

Ms Coombs added that the baby's mother had grabbed hold of the dog in a bid to get it off the baby and broke a finger in the process. 

After being informed by her relatives what happened, she said Hunter was euthanised.

The three bedroom house where the attack happened was taped off by police on Thursday as a uniformed officer stood guard outside the property while a police van was also parked on the driveway.

'I don't know what happened but the dog just snapped,' Ms Coombs said. '[Her] mum got hold of the dog and got her off the baby. 

What is the law on XL Bully dogs? 

Since February 1, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without a certificate. 

To qualify for an exemption certificate, owners had to prove their XL bully was neutered by June 30.

If the pup was less than a year old by January 31, they must have been neutered by the end of 2024, and evidence must be provided.

As well as neutering their animals, XL bully owners seeking an exemption must also pay an application fee, hold active public liability insurance for their pets and ensure the dogs are microchipped. 

People with dangerously out of control dogs can be jailed for 14 years and banned from owning animals, and their pets can be put down.

'As soon as it did it the dog seemed to realise what it had done and the boy told it to get upstairs. 

'Hunter the dog and the baby got on so well. It's so out of character for the dog.

'It was so soppy. We used to think he was like Scooby Do! They used to get in the travel cot together. He would sniff the baby and wander off.'

She added: 'It's absolutely shocking. You don't expect this to happen to family. That baby is her mum's World. She's up with her at the hospital by her bedside. 

'It was touch and go. We just hope she's ok. It's such an upsetting situation.'

The incident has sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, with residents expressing concern over the safety of such dogs. 

A friend of the family, who asked not to be named, said: 'I've seen the dog being walked around the local area. It always had a muzzle on when outside.

'The dog didn't appear to be particularly aggressive, you could tell it was a powerful animal but it wasn't always barking and growling at people.'

An 18-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. They remain in custody while enquiries continue.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.