The owner of an XL Bully dog who was mauled in a vicious attack at her Norfolk home last month has suffered life-changing injuries.
The six stone dog, from the breed set to be banned, overpowered its owner, a woman in her 60s, in her garden in Brisley, near Dereham, in an attack lasting more than half an hour.
Her cries for help were heard by people at allotments near the Gately Road property, who alerted police.
Armed officers used tasers and a fire extinguisher in a desperate attempt to get the animal off its victim, but the dog managed to come off its lead and escape through the garden gate.
The dog, named Denvor, made its way to the grounds of Brisley Church of England Primary School, in School Road, where it was eventually killed by police.
READ MORE: Owner's shock as XL Bully Denvor is killed in primary school after village rampage
The victim suffered “horrendous” injuries, spending five days in intensive care at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
She still requires treatment for her injuries at the hospital three times a week.
The victim’s husband, who is also in his 60s and asked not to be named, said: “Both sides of her abdomen were torn open.
“One of her breasts was badly savaged and the other severely bruised. She had lacerations and bruising on both of her legs, and a puncture wound on her arm which went all the way down to the tendon.
“But alongside the physical injuries the psychological effect of the attack could last forever.
“When she shuts her eyes all she can see is it happening over and over again.”
The owners adopted Denvor, who was under 18 months old, from the Dogs Trust at Snetterton less than a month before the attack. He had been rescued from a pound in the north west.
They said they collected him on September 11, just four days before the government announced it would be banning American XL Bully dogs after a ‘series of shocking and horrific attacks’.
The couple say the Dogs Trust did not do a home visit prior to them adopting Denvor, and that they have not received any support from the charity since the attack.
In a statement to this newspaper following the attack on October 16, the Dogs Trust said Denvor had “no history of aggression” and “seemed to have settled well into his new home”.
The charity said its priority was to “provide as much support as possible to people affected by this incident”.
The victim’s husband, who is currently off work to care for his wife, who herself works as a carer, said: “They’ve let us down and they haven’t even had the decency to properly contact us or visit our home to see how we are.
“They left a voicemail the following day, but other than that we’ve had nothing from them whatsoever.
“We’ve had no support – I think it’s absolutely disgraceful”.
Denvor was one of the last XL Bully-type dogs to be adopted from the Dogs Trust, which stopped rehoming the breed in light of the government’s first announcement of the proposed ban on September 15.
READ MORE: XL Bully attack: Dogs Trust STOPS rehoming controversial breed
A spokesperson from the charity said: "We’d like to make it very clear that our priority remains to offer support to the family, and our thoughts are with them as they recover from this incident.
"We spoke with a family member in the days after the incident to offer support, and the family’s wellbeing remains our top priority, where we are able to help.
"We do not routinely carry out home visits for adopters. Where a home visit is not conducted, our decision on the suitability of adopters is based on the information provided on their application form, discussions with them and suitable references."
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