50-year old woman killed by 2 of her XL bully dogs in East London

A woman in her 50s has tragically died after being mauled by her two XL Bully dogs in Havering, east London. The incident occurred at around 1.10pm on Monday, May 20, at her home on Cornwall Close in Hornchurch.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service arrived promptly but were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has not yet been publicly identified.

The attack took place within the family home, where the two dogs were contained in a room before Metropolitan Police officers arrived. Armed officers assessed the situation and safely seized the dogs. The fate of the animals remains uncertain.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police provided a statement on the incident:

“Police were called to Cornwall Close at around 1.12pm to reports of a woman attacked by a dog. The woman was treated by medics from London Ambulance Service, but sadly she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Due to the threat posed, armed officers attended. After assessing the situation, officers were able to safely seize two dogs. These were registered XL Bully dogs and prior to officers’ arrival had been contained inside a room in the house. They did not leave the house at any time during the incident. The family of the woman, who was the owner of the dogs, are being supported by officers.”

The XL Bully breed was banned in the UK at the beginning of 2024 following a series of deadly attacks. This tragic incident underscores the ongoing concerns about the breed and the challenges in preventing such devastating occurrences