Owner banned from keeping dogs after ‘XL Bully’ hit repeatedly with shovel

Simon Thomas denied he was the one who hit his dog Ace
Jordan King13 March 2024
WEST END FINAL

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A man has been banned from keeping dogs as pets after a video went viral of his XL Bully-type dog being repeatedly hit with a shovel.

Simon Thomas, 41, admitted to allowing suffering to his dog, Ace, at Stratford Magistrates' Court but denied it was him who hit the pet, Metropolitan Police said on Monday.

He was fined £375 and ordered to pay costs of £1,419 while barred from owning a dog for 12 months.

Thomas was arrested after a neighbour filmed Ace being smacked multiple times with a shovel at Pembury Estate in Hackney, north London.

No one was at the flat when officers arrived but Thomas handed himself in later that day.

The harrowing footage emerged in November last year, showing a man striking the dog on the head over and over again.

XL Bully Rescue and Foundation volunteers, who attended the scene with police at the time, previously told The Standard of a surge in abuse and abandonment cases for XL Bullies.

Ace the dog being led into a van by police and volunteers
SEVAL HASSAN

Nina Willis, who runs it, broke down in tears as she told of the abuse she has witnessed since the government announced American XL Bullies are joining its banned breeds list.

She said what happened to Ace was "horrendous" and gave her nightmares.

"It's just the worst thing I've ever, ever had to deal with,” she said.

Ms Willis went on: "Because of the ban a lot of people have been giving [XL Bullies] away for free or very cheaply, so a lot more of the wrong people have got their hands on them, which is why we're seeing so much neglect and abuse.”

Seval Hassan, one of the volunteers who responded to the incident, added: "I think it's one of the worst things I've ever witnessed in my life. It was a really bad experience.

"Because [XL Bullies] are on the banned list, people are getting rid of them and this is where they're ending up. There are loads more like him out there."

The dog, who is believed to only be about eight months old, was set to be rehomed by the rescue.

Following a rise in attacks by XL Bullies, Rishi Sunak pledged on September 15 that the Government would ban the breed by the end of the year - something it has now done.

Respondong to a rise in attacks by the breed, Ms Willis said: "It is not the dogs, it is the owners.

"These are dogs that are being beaten, severely abused, and when we take them after two days they are a completely different dog.

"They show no aggression, they don't want to harm anybody, they just want you to love them."

The XL Bully breed was developed through the crossing of various bull breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier. They are thought to have been around since the late 1980s.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We have taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks – with the Environment Secretary adding the XL Bully type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

"From 31 January 2024, owners of XL Bully type dogs have the options of applying for their dog to be added to the Index of Exempted Dogs or taking their dog to be euthanised. We are working closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, as we take forward these important measures."

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