Farmer forced to shoot dead two XL bully dogs after they kill 22 sheep

Watch: Farmer forced to shoot two XL bully dogs after they kill 22 of his sheep

WARNING: Article and video contain graphic content

This is the shocking moment a farmer was forced to shoot two XL bully dogs dead after they killed 22 of his pregnant sheep.

Bodycam footage taken by police in Wrexham, North Wales, shows Paul Jones holding a shotgun as he tells officers the dogs, which are banned in the UK, had gone on the rampage. They were mauling sheep to death in his barn and he was faced with no choice but to shoot the dogs dead himself.

With armed officers still yet to arrive, Jones took matters into his own hands, telling police he was licensed to own the weapon. Officers confirm to him that he could legally kill the dogs to prevent further attacks on his animals.

The officers are seen running for cover in fear the dogs might attack them before the farmer fires at the dogs. Four gunshots can be heard ringing out before the officers could safely enter the sheep barn.

Inside, several sheep can be seen lying dead on the ground, having been viciously mauled by the XL bully dogs. The attack resulted in the deaths of 22 pregnant sheep, while another 48 were injured.

Jones said the two dogs were "savaging" the sheep in the barn. He told the BBC: "We do see dog attacks but I've never seen anything with this devastation. The sheep were confined in the shed, they couldn't get out... They threw those sheep around like they were paper.”

Iwan Owen, a member of North Wales Police's Rural Crime Team, said the incident, which took place in 2023, was one of the worst dog attacks he had seen during his 40-year career. He said the farmer had no chance of stopping the dogs during the attack – and questioned why anyone would want to own the breed.

He said: “I don’t understand why would you want a dog of like that in a home. Think how strong they are, how much damage they can do - it's life-threatening.

“Farmers are tough guys – they're used to dogs and getting hold of them, but you wouldn’t get hold of an XL bully. There's not much of a chance for you to walk away without being terribly injured.”

The owner of the dogs, David Hughes, 27, of Pen y Wern, Rhosllanerchrugog, admitted being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and being the owner of a dog worrying livestock. He was handed a £500 fine, as well as costs and surcharge or £230 and £180 and banned from keeping animals. Jones lost more than £14,000 worth of animals in the attack.

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PC Chris James, of North Wales Police, said: “Responsible dog ownership is key in tackling these awful incidents, which are far too common. It is so important to ensure pets are always kept on a lead and under control around in the countryside – or if left at home alone, that the house or garden are secure.

“A dog’s owner is the only person who can prevent an attack from happening, and you may have to pay the ultimate price if you cannot control your animal.”

Why is the XL bully dog banned in the UK?

Since 1 February this year, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without a certificate of exemption. It came following new laws on selling, giving away or abandoning the breed that came in on 31 December last year.

The ban was introduced following a rise in reported incidents of attacks by the breed. In its announcement of the ban, the government said there had been 23 deaths caused by dog attacks since the start of 21, “with the XL bully being involved in many of these tragic deaths”.

While there are no official statistics on attacks by individual dog breeds in the UK, a BBC Freedom of Information request found that there had been a 21% rise in an out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog in 2023 from the previous year. Several incidents of XL bully attacks were also reported in recent years, including on 68-year-old grandmother Esther Martin, 52-year-old Ian Price, and 10-year-old Jack Lis – who were all killed by the animals.

Owning an unregistered XL bully is now a criminal offence and owners can face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.