XL bully dog found dead on path next to service station near Bicester

The dog was discovered by a member of the public on a path near the Starbucks at Family Farm Service Station on the A34 on Sunday (September 29).

According to the RSPCA, the brown XL bully-type dog had several new and old injuries on its body.

RSPCA inspector Prisca Giddens, who is looking into the incident, said: “This is really heartbreaking but we don’t know how this dog came to be in this situation, whether they died naturally and his body was dumped or if the dog was intentionally harmed.

"Even though XL Bullies are banned, it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to abandon or neglect them. Sadly, we’ve had more and more reports this year, and we are keen to establish exactly what happened here.

“We are hoping the public will be able to help us in our enquiries.”

Anyone who may have information that could assist the RSPCA is asked to call their appeals line on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 1362148.

According to RSPCA reports, the number of cases of intentional harm to XL bully dogs has increased since the ban on them was put into force last December.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “Reports of intentional harm to dogs reported to be XL Bullies increased by 164% (from 39 to 103) in the first eight months of this year.”

For more information about XL bullies, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/bsl