Ana Paun was walking home on Saturday when she noticed an enormous dog staring at her. "I got scared, so I started to run," she says - but the dog came tearing after her. It sank its teeth first into her hand and then into her shoulder. Not until a passer-by hit it with a scooter did it let go, allowing Ana to escape into a nearby shop.

The dog went on to attack two other people before police captured it. Both needed hospital treatment, as did Ana. A video of the incident caused an immediate furoreAn excited or angry reaction. It was originally an Italian word meaning "rage" or "madness".:

"This is appalling," wrote the home secretaryIn Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing. , Suella Braverman, on social media. "The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities... I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them."

The American bully XL has been bred from three other types known for their tenacityPersistent determination. : the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog and the English Bulldog. The largest weigh up to 60kg.

In the last three years they have been responsible for at least eight deaths in the UK. Among the victims was 10-year-old Jack Lis, who was fatally mauled in Wales.

In 2018, suspected bully XLs made up 3% of the 361 dogs seized by West Midlands Police. By the end of May this year, 96 had been seized: 23.5% of the total.¹ A monitoring group called Bully Watch believes that they have been responsible for 45% of all dog attacks in the UK this year.

But according to the RSPCAThe Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals., the fault lies with their breeders and owners: "There's no robust research to demonstrate that these breeds or types are any more aggressive than other dogs."

At present there are four breeds banned in the UK: the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro. It is illegal to own, sell, breed from, give away or abandon these dogs.

But the RSPCA argues that the ban gives an "illusion" of protection, and points out that out of 48 deaths caused by dogs between 1989 and 2017, only nine involved dogs on the list.

While Britain's dog population has risen by 15% in the past five years, dog attacks in England and Wales have risen by more than a third, from 16,000 to 22,000.² This may in part be a result of the Covid-19 lockdown: while many people bought dogs for company, the animals did not become socialised in the normal way.

Dr Rachel Casey, an expert on dog behaviour, says that aggression normally results from anxiety. Dogs become dangerous if they are mistreated, kept in poor conditions or not given enough exercise.

And, she says, "Whereas a lot of owners will look to socialise their dog to make sure that they get on well with people, for some owners having a dog that growls at people does their ego a lot of good.

"Although you do occasionally get unprovoked attacks, the vast majority of dog attacks are due to irresponsible ownership, irresponsible owner behaviour or irresponsible behaviour around dogs."

In Hungary there are laws to ensure that dogs get enough exercise. In Switzerland, owners have to pass a dog-care test.

Yes: The dogs' size and strength makes them extremely difficult to control, but also makes them attractive to people who want them as an aggressive status symbol. A ban is the only answer.

No: Rottweilers, a husky and a Cane Corso have also killed people in the past three years. We should enforce strict rules about how dogs are bred and trained, and teach people how to interact with them.

Or... All dogs should require a licence, as they do in Northern Ireland. Licences for potentially dangerous breeds should only be issued to people without criminal records who can look after them properly.