Tearful owner of XL bully begs for breed to be ‘wiped out’ after they killed grandma at his home
A RAPPER who owns two XL bullies that mauled a gran to death wants the entire breed “wiped out”.
Ashley Warren’s dogs Bear and Beauty attacked Esther Martin, 68, who was looking after his 11-year-old son — her grandson.
Esther’s relatives claim the dogs were “penned in a small chalet”.
Ms Martin’s daughter Sonia, 47, said: “How the hell can that be any good for an animal? We’re very angry.
“People complain about the dogs. It’s not the dogs.”
Last week it became a crime in England and Wales to own an XL Bully without a certificate.
Ashley, whose rapper name is Wyless Man, was previously defiant, describing the rules as “a joke”.
Yesterday he said: “Now I couldn’t support them enough.”
He said the dogs loved Esther and were used to being petted by her.
Ashley, of Jaywick, Essex, who was arrested and bailed on suspicion of dangerous dog offences, said: “Never in a million years did I see them as a risk. If my dogs did that to her, when I had never seen anything but love from them, then that breed just has a killer switch.
“I honestly thought the ban was a stupid government plan to wipe out a breed which I had never seen anything but softness and love from.
“Now I think they need to be wiped out.
“Esther meant everything to my son and she meant everything to me.
“I’m sorry for everyone’s loss, from the bottom of my heart.
Dangerous Dogs Act explained
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog’s breed or looks instead of an individual dog’s behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.
As of December 31 last year, it became illegal to sell, breed or give away XL Bully dogs under the Act.
From February 1, it became illegal to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without an exemption certificate.
Anyone found in possession of an XL Bully and is not meeting the strict rules will have their dog taken away and face prosecution and a criminal record.
It comes after a spate of fatal attacks, which saw 11 deaths linked to XL Bullies in just three years.