Mum defends XL Bully she calls her ‘baby’ and ‘most loyal, friendliest dog ever’

Alicia Elliott, 28, from Derby, is defending the XL Bully breed (Image: DerbyshireLive) A heartbroken XL Bully owner is taking a stand and speaking out in defence of the killer breed. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Friday (September 15) that he will ban the breed after a spate of UK attacks one of which killed a man in Staffordshire on Thursday. But Alicia Elliott, 28, from Derby, says that she cannot believe that her one-year-old dog Tank will be outlawed and has spoken out in defence of the breed, reports DerbyshireLive . She said: ‘They are not nasty or dangerous as everyone thinks and often when any dog turns nasty, it is often the fault of the owners.’ She added: ‘I think it’s awful what has happened to the man in Walsall [near where the man died], however we shouldn’t all have to be punished for this.’ Her son Alfie, six, has a very close relationship with Tank (Image: DerbyshireLive) ‘I would love people to meet Tank to prove he’s not a dangerous dog. ‘I’m just trying to fight this as I feel it’s so unfair for us all to be punished when it’s not the breed, it’s the owners.’ She has two sons who are six and nine-years-old and says they both have a good bond with Tank. Now Alicia is now setting up a petition to try and get the decision reconsidered. She added: “I will do whatever it takes to save my baby.” There has been concern from some dog owners that new rules will mean that their dogs will need to be put down. The owner of 18 XL Bully puppies said that the prospect was “soul destroying”. But it’s been confirmed that XL Bully dogs will not be culled as a result of the new rules set to come in force on the breed. The UK’s chief veterinary officer Professor Christine Middlemiss has said instead there will be an amnesty where owners must register their pets and muzzle them in public. Prof Middlemiss told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There will be an amnesty. ‘So people that already have these dogs – and some of them will be well socialised, well managed, well trained – you will need to register and take certain actions. “Your dog will need to be neutered. It will need to be muzzled when out in public and on a lead and insured.’ Meanwhile, Dog owners terrified their own XL Bully dogs will attack them are abandoning them in the streets and leaving them free to roam. Rescue shelters are being swamped with the unwanted breed – as prices for the dogs fall from £2,000 to £200. Vickie Phillips, manager at City Dogs Home, is calling for a total ban on the breen in the UK, reports the Mirror . She said: ‘We’ve had nasty ones here. ‘They can be aggressive to other dogs and they’ve tried to properly go for us.’