Questions over XL bully ban as dog attack hospitalisations and deaths rise
NHS figures show dog attack hospitalisations have risen in each of the past five years and 17 people have died since the XL bully ban, raising questions over whether it is working.
How it was covered
- Sky News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the rising dog attack toll and a correspondent's own attack.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and ITV: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Sky News reported that the XL bully ban has been in force for three years. The broadcaster said it is illegal to own the breed unless the dog has an exemption.
According to Sky News, NHS figures show that the number of people hospitalised after dog attacks has risen in each of the past five years. The channel also reported that 17 people have been killed in dog attacks since the ban came into effect, and said the figures raised questions over whether the restrictions are working.
Sky News said its correspondent Katie Barnfield was hospitalised after she was badly injured in a dog attack last year. She is now speaking to people campaigning for change, and her report includes images of her injuries.
Sky News questioned whether the ban remains fit for purpose.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| NHS figures indicate that dog attack hospitalisations have risen annually over the past five years. | |
| Seventeen people have been killed in dog attacks since the ban took effect. | |
| The ban on XL Bully dogs has been active for three years, with some owners exempt. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led on the gap between the ban and the continued rise in serious dog attacks. It used NHS hospitalisation figures and the 17 deaths since the ban to frame the policy as unproven. The report also drew on correspondent Katie Barnfield's own serious injury, giving the item a personal and campaign-facing angle.
- “there are questions over whether the ban is still fit for purpose.”
- “17 people have been killed, killed from a dog attack, even since the ban came into effect.”
- “our correspondent Katie Barnfield was hospitalised after she was really badly injured in a dog attack last year.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.