11-year-old who was mauled by XL bully bravely speaks out

The 11-year-old girl who was attacked by an 'XL Bully' has spoken out after the horrifying ordeal.

Schoolgirl Ana Paun said she was 'petrified' and fearing for her life during the attack.

Footage of the incident in Birmingham has gone viral online, where the large grey dog could be seen making a beeline for Ana and dragging her to the ground.

Fortunately for Ana, two men came to her rescue and manage to pry the dog off her - but also suffered injuries as a result.

Now Ana, who had only just started secondary school last week and now has to take time off to recover, is calling for the breed to be banned.

Recalling the scary ordeal that occurred on Saturday, 9 September, Ana said: "I thought it was going to attack my face and neck and that I was going to die.

"I kept screaming and screaming - I was petrified."

She further told The Sun: "I am so thankful to the two men who helped fight the dog off. I thought it was going to kill me. They suffered worse injuries than me."

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Ana sustained injuries on her lower left arm and needed eight stitches, according to her mum.

Following the attack, Ana wants bulldog breeds to be banned in the UK and for the dog's owner to go to prison.

"I think all of the dogs, the bull dogs, all of them should be banned," the 11-year-old said.

"The owner should be in prison because he never did anything, he just let the dog bite everyone."

Meanwhile, two men who helped her were 'bitten and left with injuries to their shoulders and arms', West Midlands Police said.

The full police statement read: "We’re investigating after three people were bitten by a dog in Birmingham yesterday (9 September).

"An 11-year-old girl ran past the dog as it was being walked by its owner in Bordesley Green, when she was bitten.

"Two men intervened but were bitten and left with injuries to their shoulders and arms.

"They were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.

"The dog was initially taken to a local vet to be checked over before being taken into secure kennels while the investigation continues."

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It continued: "The owner of the dog has been spoken to by officers.

"Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch via Live Chat quoting log 3245 of 9/9."

Ana isn't alone in wanting to ban the large breed; Home Secretary Suella Braverman has voiced her concerns as well after seeing the video of the incident.

Braverman penned on X, formerly known as Twitter: "This is appalling.

“The American XL bully is a clear and lethal danger to our communities, particularly to children.

"We can't go on like this.

"I have commissioned urgent advice on banning them."

Other dogs already banned in the UK are Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brasileiros.

Topics: Dogs, UK News

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

@NiamhShackleton