Dad mauled to death by ‘Bully XL’ dog ‘may have been looking after it for a friend’

The man mauled to death by a ‘dangerously out of control’ dog has been named by his heartbroken friends and family.

Father-of-five Jonathan Hogg, affectionately as ‘Oggy’, suffered fatal injuries after he was attacked last night.

It is believed the victim, 37, did not own the ‘American Bully XL’ – and may have been looking after it for a friend, the Manchester Evening News reports.

He was found by officers on Thursday night with horrific head and neck injuries and was rushed to hospital. He later died in the early hours of this morning, the force confirmed.

His devastated older brother Ian Hogg said: “He was my little brother and I loved him to bits. He was one in a million – he’d do anything for anybody.

“He was bubbly and loud – the loudest person you ever met. His kids are in bits. I don’t know what we’re going to do.

“I was in the hospital from 11pm to 5am. It was just horrific, I can’t get it out of my head, but the doctors and nurses did everything they could. They were amazing.”

Greater Manchester Police said armed officers were deployed to try to control the dog and used “every available tactic to subdue” the dog before it was shot because it posed a “significant risk” to the public.

Cops were called to a plot of land behind a garage in Leigh, near Wigan, just after 9pm on Thursday evening.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, but tragically the victim couldn’t be saved and he died of his injuries.

Armed officers attended and killed the dog due to the “significant risk” it posed.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog causing injury resulting in death.

Detective Superintendent Simon Hurst, of GMP’s Wigan district, said: “Firstly, I would like to extend my condolences to the loved ones of the victim of this attack.

“Our officers and our partners are currently supporting the victim’s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“We recognise this incident will rightly cause concern within the local area and we would like to reassure the public that we explored every possible avenue to protect the local community and the animal involved.

“We would urge members of the public to please come forward if they have any information in regard to this incident, any information you may have may be a huge help to our investigation.”

The land appears to be used for the training of dogs and includes a fenced off patch of artificial grass.

A ripped up football, a dog bowl and training bag are visible at the site. A breezeblock annex at the site appears to be used to accomodate dogs.

A ripped up mattress, a large bag of dog food and what appears to be dog kennels can be seen.

The horror attack was witnessed by shocked locals who raised the alarm, it is understood.

The Mirror is campaigning for changes to be made to the Dangerous Dogs Act.

We demand a widening to the list of banned breeds to make it illegal to own, breed or sell other dangerous types.

To bring in a new law requiring owners to register certain breeds that could be dangerous. Similar laws exist in France and Austria.

That anyone wanting to own a potentially dangerous breed should attend a training course and the dog’s behaviour should be assessed.

The horror attack comes after a six-year-old boy’s parents revealed he was lucky to be alive after being scalped by a dog bought on Facebook two weeks earlier.

The attack prompted police to issue a warning about buying dogs from social media adverts.

And it follows a spate of maulings involving the breed, which shares DNA with banned American Pit Bull Terriers.

Six of the ten dog-related deaths in the UK last year were caused by bully or bully crosses, sparking calls from campaigners for the breed to be banned.

In March last year, 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch was killed by a Bully XL dog. The toddler had been attacked in her family’s home in St Helens, Merseyside, just a week after they bought the animal.

Also in 2022, Joanne Robinson, 43, was mauled to death by her pet American Bully XL dog after it ‘turned mad in the extreme heat’ at a house in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, was killed in an attack by an Bully XL in 2021 while playing at a friend’s house in Caerphilly, South Wales.