Police confirm breed of dog that mauled 9 month old baby boy to death in horror attack

Police have confirmed the breed of dog that mauled a nine-month-old baby boy to death in Wales on Sunday. The incident occurred in Rogiet, Monmouthshire, sparking a huge emergency service response. It has now been confirmed that an XL Bully was responsible for the attack, and was taken away from the property and put down.

Gwent Police said the baby was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service. The dog was registered with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Assistant chief constable Vicki Townsend of Gwent Police said: "While the dog in this case was registered as an XL bully, it was done so proactively before the ban came into effect.

"In preparation for the new law, when requesting a certificate of exemption, owners were not required to formally identify the dog's breed.

"In cases where a suspected banned breed is involved only a DLO or a court-approved independent assessor can make an official determination.

"No arrests have been made at this time, and this is still an ongoing investigation, and official identification of the dog was necessary.

"We understand that there is a significant amount of interest and concern about this incident, and we have seen the community rally together in this difficult time.

"It is our responsibility as a police service to ensure that the death of a baby boy is fully investigated and so we again urge people to be responsible, and to consider the impact that speculation, rumour, and commentary can have on the family and on the integrity of our investigation.

"Where possible, we will continue to update our communities, but in the meantime if you have any concerns, please contact us."