An unmuzzled XL Bully "launched itself" against a mother and her two children at a London playground.
The 34-year-old mum, who wishes to remain anonymous, was entering the playground in Battersea Park, south London, on February 2 when the dog hurtled towards the pram.
She said the canine knocked over the buggy which was carrying her one-year-old daughter then bit her child.
The XL Bully was swiftly led away by its owner, who is believed to be a man aged between 25 and 35.
An XL Bully dog attacked a mother and her two children whilst they were entering a playground in Battersea Park, London
Wikimedia Commons/Getty
Police are continuing to search for the man and the dog.
“Before I knew it, the dog had pushed the metal gate open and jumped on my toddler who was on the floor being bitten.
"I don’t know how I managed to pick him up but I did and kicked the dog off. I grabbed the pram with the other hand but as I did, the dog launched at the pram which made it overturn," the mum told the Daily Express.
She screamed for help whilst the dog bit her child, with a local resident hearing her cries and quickly calling for the police.
Officers soon arrived on the scene but were unable to locate the man and his dog.
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The mum, who now said she is “nervous to leave her house”, stated that both of her children have been covered in bite marks.
She was adamant that the dog wanted to kill somebody and was surprised that her daughter made it out of the incident alive.
Both children were taken to the doctor where their bite marks were assessed and determined to be treatable at home.
The attack came just days after a new law came into effect which made it a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales without a certificate.
Those who do not abide by the law could be taken to court and have their pets seized.
The mum said that fear had swept over local residents who are afraid of encountering the dogs. “In Battersea, there's a lot of families and a lot of dogs. There's a lot of gangs and everyone just feels scared at the moment. Everyone is nervous to leave their house.
It is now a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without a license in England and Wales
Wiki Commons images/ Dlexus“There's always been crime but it was largely gang related whereas now it's not the case. These dogs are so out of control and are on our doorstep. There's nothing we can do about it.”
Over the weekend, a grandmother was killed by two unregistered XL Bullies in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Ashley Warren's dogs Bear and Beauty killed Esther Martin, 68, while looking after his 11-year-old boy, her grandson.
Warren, an aspiring rapper whose stage name is Wyless Man, told The Sun that Martin was looking after his son while he had travelled to London to film a rap video.
After previously describing the new XL Bully legislation as a “joke”, he now said: “I couldn’t support them enough.”
