A local woman has been left devastated after her beloved dog suffered horrific injuries in an unprovoked attack by an XL Bully.
Liz McGregor had been walking her two dogs along Glasgow Road early on Saturday, April 5th, before heading to work, when the incident occurred. As she turned a corner, she encountered a large XL Bully accompanied by its owner.
Although the dog was on a lead, it wasn’t muzzled – a legal requirement – and suddenly lunged at one of Liz’s pets, Nova. In a desperate attempt to defend his companion, Liz’s other dog, Malik, a seven-year-old Husky, intervened and was viciously mauled.
“The Bully had Malik by the neck and was shaking him,” said Liz, who lives in Bishopbriggs. “We were screaming at the owner to get control, but he couldn’t. Malik slipped his lead, and I was knocked to the ground in the chaos. We eventually managed to pull them apart, but it was terrifying.”
Malik was left with multiple gaping wounds to his neck and chest. He was rushed to an emergency vet where his injuries were cleaned, opened further to prevent infection, and stitched. While he’s now recovering at home, there remains a risk he may require surgery if fluid continues to build around his neck.
“Malik is lucky to be alive,” Liz added. “The Bully shredded his throat – it was close to hitting a major artery. The vet said his glands were essentially ripped out. We’re now facing vet bills over £2,000, and that could rise if more treatment is needed.”
Liz, who works as a cleaner in a care home, slammed the owner for failing to follow the law, pointing out that since February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate – and even then, the dog must be muzzled if out in public.
“If he’d just obeyed the law, this never would have happened,” she said. “These dogs have been banned for a reason – they’re unpredictable. What if it had been a child? I haven’t slept since. It’s been a nightmare.”
Seeking further comment, a spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed: “Around 4.35am on Saturday, 5 April, 2025, officers received a report of two dogs injured by another dog in the Glasgow Road area of Blantyre.”
