Pensioner thought XL Bullies would kill her during terrifying doorstep attack

A pensioner suffered puncture wounds to her face when a neighbour’s two XL Bullies attacked her on her own doorstep.

Catherine, who did not wish to give her full name, is now desperate to move away from her home in Chingford, east London, after ‘living in fear’ of the dogs.

The 66-year-old said she is still in shock weeks after the May 10 attack.

‘I was scared to death,’ she added. ‘I thought they were going to kill me.

‘It’s made me a bag of nerves and I’m still in shock. If it was a child getting attacked, it could have been fatal.’

Catherine was enjoying the sunshine on her doorstep when one of the dogs playfully approached.

As the second dog joined in, both animals got riled up and launched their attack.

Video captured on a surveillance camera shows the owner of the dogs, who was standing nearby, intervening and pulling the dogs off the older woman.

Dramatic footage captures two XL Bully dogs attacking a woman outside her home in Chingford, East London (Picture: SWNS)

The woman said she feared for her life after she was attacked (Picture: SWNS)

Catherine’s son Mark says his mum has been living in fear of her neighbour’s dogs, which he says are never muzzled in public.

Mark said: ‘My mum has been living in fear of these dogs for a long time.

‘She loves dogs, having raised them my entire life and she currently owns Jack Russells, so she knew to stay down when the dogs were on top of her, instead of getting up and aggravating them.

‘The dogs are about a year old and are never wearing muzzles in public – even after the rule change.

‘They’re often left in the back garden and my mum can hear them non-stop barking all day long.

‘When they’re inside the house, they’re still barking and banging themselves up against walls.’

He went on: ‘She has even contacted her local MP to see if she can move house because she doesn’t feel safe.

‘There haven’t been any other attacks with these dogs, as far as I’m aware, but I think that’s just because they’re kept cooped up all day.

‘I think the fact that we haven’t heard anything from the police when they have all the evidence is a massive shame, especially since they’re meant to be cracking down.

‘Who knows, next time it could be a child.’

Catherine suffered puncture wounds to her face and side, for which she went to hospital and received a tetanus shot (Picture: SWNS)

Catherine reported the incident to the police, who said enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

Since February 1, it is a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption.

It’s also an offence to have an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement: ‘Police were called at about 5.32pm on Friday, May 10, to reports of an incident where a woman was allegedly attacked by two dogs.

‘The woman attended hospital and her injuries were not believed to be significant.

‘Officers met with the victim as part of a scheduled appointment on Sunday, May 12.

‘No arrests have been made. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.’

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