An XL bully owner who attacked a vet at his surgery for failing to save his sick dog’s life has been jailed.
Arbaz Hamza Hamid, 24, punched Stephen Stead so hard he was left with a bloody nose and his glasses left an imprint in his skin, York Crown Court heard. He needed stitches in three cuts that were caused in the attack at the vets surgery last January.
Hamid’s barrister Rachel Webster claimed he loved the “family pet” and had acted impulsively when he struck Mr Stead, but the judge rejected this and said the XL bully had been used for breeding. Hamid, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. previously pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and was jailed for seven months.
The incident happened before a new law banning the breed was implemented. To keep their pets, owners must register their dogs, microchip them, neuter them, and ensure that they keep their dogs on a muzzle and lead when in public.
‘Loss of a big investment’
York Crown Court was told Hamid and four others arrived at the Stead’s surgery in two cars at around 4.15pm on 16 January 2023. Hamid’s barrister Ms Webster said the dog was ill and needed two-hourly injections and around-the-clock care from the five joint owners.
A man and woman, who were part of the group, had brought the dog to the vet at 10.30am on that day. They were told the pet needed surgery and the chances of her surviving were one in five, but they agreed to the operation anyway.
Mr Stead then carried out the surgery and later that day rang the man and woman to tell them the dog had died. The group of five, including Hamid, then arrived at the vets and confronted Mr Stead and one of the men punched the wall.
Victoria Barker, prosecuting, said Hamid suddenly lunged forward at the end of the incident and punched the vet in the face with a clenched fist. After the vet was hit, all five people left the practice.
Hamid claimed the dog had cost £4,000 – £5,000 and was purchased from America but the prosecution claimed the cost of the dog had been considerably higher. Hamid also claimed the animal was solely a “family pet'”who was owned jointly by the three men and two women who were at the vets.
The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, rejected the defendant’s claim the dog was a family pet and said it could have been used for breeding. He said: “This was the loss of a big investment, that is what this was all about. I don’t accept this was an impulsive act by you.
“This was the coup de grace of an increasingly hostile situation.”
Ms Webster says Hamid loved the dog, had acted impulsively and had taken no part in the aggression until the punch. She described him as very remorseful and had no previous convictions.
New rules for XL bully dogs
Owning an XL bully from 1 February 2024 will be illegal unless the animal is on an exempt list, called the Index of Exempted Dogs. Those who want to keep their dogs will have until the end of January to register them with the list and will then be forced to comply with strict requirements.
This will include the requirement to muzzle them and keep them on a lead in public, but the dogs must also be microchipped and neutered. Owners seeking an exemption must also pay an application fee and hold active public liability insurance for their pets.
Dogs more than a year old on 31 January must be neutered by 30 June next year, while those under 12 months old must be neutered by 31 December 31 2024. Owners without a certificate of exemption will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine if they are found to be in possession of an XL bully as of 1 February, and their dog could be seized.
Owners who wish to keep their dogs must apply to an exemption scheme or they can choose to have their dog euthanised and apply for compensation. The government has offered £200 to XL Bully owners to go towards the cost of euthanising their animals.
