The mum of a little girl who was mauled to death by an XL Bully has said the "beastly" breed needs to be banned before more people lose their lives.

Bella-Rae Birch was just 17 months old when she died after being attacked in her own home. Her 25-year-old mum, Treysharn Bates, from St Helens, Merseyside, was with Bella-Rae when the incident happened and did everything she could to save her daughter's life, The Mirror reports.

However, due to the severity of the injuries, Bella-Rae was pronounced dead shortly after the brutal ordeal and her mum, who is hoping to raise awareness, believes that XL bully breeds are "far too big for people to control" and says that they need to be banned immediately.

READ MORE: XL bully owners already handing dogs into vets to be put down following ban announcement

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She said: "Let's get these beasts off the streets. It's not the dog that's the problem – it's the strength and size of these horrible things. I'm heartbroken by how many people have since lost their lives or have been brutally attacked by these dogs.

"There has become a pattern in attacks and the sooner they're banned or hard rules are put into place, the better. It's the least that can be done for some type of justice for my baby girl. As a mother, losing a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, but watching a life be snatched away in such awful circumstances is soul-destroying.

"I miss Bella-Rae every day and I still haven't come to terms with what's happened. I just think she's sleeping over at nanny's house. I haven't accepted anything yet and I don't think I ever want to, but I have to stay strong for my little boy who still needs his mummy."

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The tragic incident occurred in March 2022 when the family dog attacked Bella-Rae while she was in her mum's arms. Bella-Rae's dad Ryan, 25, was also present during the horrifying event. Treysharn recalls blacking out from screaming for help during the attack.

Treysharn described Bella-Rae as a "happy" little girl who completed her life. She said: "My life was complete, I had a little boy and now I had my little girl and everything was perfect. Bella-Rae was a happy, energetic, clever 17-month-old baby. She loved music, dancing, singing, and food, she was a brilliant eater for her age. She could have a full conversation with you, count to 15, and knew mostly all nursery rhymes and words to songs that I listened to."

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The family had only had the dog for a week before the incident, but they believed it was safe for the children. No legal action was taken as Bella-Rae wasn't alone during the attack and the dog wasn't classified under the Dangerous Dog Act.

However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last month that American XL Bully dogs would be added to the Dangerous Dogs Act list by the end of the year, labelling them a "danger to our communities". Owners can keep these breeds only if they are placed on the index of exempt dogs, which is granted if the court believes the dog is not a danger to the public.

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